DxD: FINAL
by Starlight's Poet
Summary: In an age where the world of man is apart of the realm of the supernatural, are humans but mere tools... for deicide?
1. Volume 1: Life 1: A Date Gone Wrong

Disclaimer: This story is a product of fanfiction. Highschool DxD and the Shin Megami Tensei franchise are owned by their respective creators, Funimation and Atlus. Any and all relations to real-life places or people are mere coincidences.

With that in mind... Demons Anarchy of Pride and CodeEmperor07 are proud to present: DxD: FINAL!

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"Our will makes our ideals take shape... I call that power equal to the demons." -Yamato Hotsuin, Devil Survivor

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 **DxD: FINAL**

 _Volume 1: Birth of a God-Killer_

* * *

 ** _Life 01: A Date Gone Wrong_**

Issei Hyoudou was not what one would call popular. In fact, infamous was more the correct word, for his reputation, along with two others, were not what one would call the most appealing to other people.

He was one of the Perverted Trio, and aspiring Harem King at School. Given this fact, he has...less than favorable interactions with the female populace.

And that was using this term loosely. Every time, almost every day, he and two others, 'three-sizes' Motohama and track star Matsuda, would try to peep on girls as they were changing, using holes in the walls or doors left ajar or open windows. Needless to say, the girls had not taken kindly to this... especially not the kendo club, who were armed with bamboo sticks.

The bruises still hurt, even now.

"Itai..." the boy mumbled as he nursed his shoulder. "Talk about painful...!"

It wasn't just his shoulder, every part of his body was sore.

"Ain't that the truth?" Motohama agreed.

The three perverts were currently on a grassy hill nearby the track used for P.E. They were all covered in bruises, though Motohama looked the worst for wear, with blood leaking down the side of his face and his glasses cracked. Matsuda was the least injured, having managed to outrun them for some time, though he was also bruises, having a swollen black right eye and a angry red bruise on his left cheek. Issei wasn't much better, his arm hurting the most, and his head throbbing in pain.

The three of them had tried to peep on the kendo team as they were changing, but sadly, Issei was the only one who did not receive any such treasured looks, as the two idiots were hogging the peeping hole the entire damned time.

"I swear, it's like you guys are keeping me from seeing the spectacular view." Issei grumbled.

"Hey, it's first come, first served my friend." Matsuda stated.

"But I WAS first! You just shoved me out of the way!"

"He's got a point, Matsuda." Motohama pointed out, adjusting his glasses. "It's a shame though... I didn't get Katase-chan or Murayama-chan's measurements yet before you went and sneezed!"

The bald man held up his hands in defense, chuckling nervously at his friend's glare aimed his way. "Ah, come on! It could have happened to any of us! ...Though, I will say this. I was in heaven."

"What?" Issei blinked. "Why? What did you see?!"

"I saw Chiyo-chan's bare ass man!"

"...that's it?" Suddenly, the brunette felt disappointed, sighing with a sweat drop. "Dude, she doesn't have any good oppai."

"She's a size B from what I can tell." Motohama added. "Then again, of course Matsuda's interest in her, seeing he's a loli freak."

"Size B may be good...but not good enough!" Matsuda finished loudly. "Breasts are the perfect size when they don't bounce!"

"Are you an idiot?! Bouncing Breasts are the greatest thing! Especially if they're so big that a bra can barely restrain them!" Issei refuted.

"Blasphemy! Small boobs are the best!"

"And I say large Oppai are!"

"Smaller!"

"Bigger!"

"SMALL!"

"BIG!"

The two glared at each other, sparks flying before the whirled on Motohama, who immediately jumped from the intensity of the gaze. "Motohama!" the two snarled in unison. "Which is better?! Small or big?!"

The bespectacled teen sweated bullets. Small or Big? If he answered on or the other, one of his friends would surely punch him in the face. But truth be told, he had no preference.

"...I like both to be honest..."

"You can't say that!" Matsuda snapped.

"Which do you prefer more?!" Issei pressured. "Big boobs, or small boobs?!"

"Uh...Honestly...I prefer butts..."

A pregnant silence fell upon the group. Matsuda and Issei just stared at him, their eyes blank. The only sound that fell upon the group was the yells of girls as they ran through the tracks, going about their daily routine. Motohama was slowly growing nervous, sweat falling down his face. They were quiet... too quiet.

"Um..." he said slowly. "Guys? Are you... oka-"

 _ **"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"**_

They both grabbed him by the shoulders and started shaking him.

"Butts...BUTTS?! You're seriously more interested in a girl's rear rather than their symbol of fertility?! Have you taken too many hits to the head?!"

"W-what?!" Motohama managed to yell, starting grow dizzy from all the shaking. "It-it's a fair obsession!"

Issei released his hold on him, allowing him to collapse on his back, falling to the ground with a plop. "Listen up, Motohama!" the brunette declared, his expression deadly serious, and his arms folded over his chest. "Oppai is NOT just an obsession! Oppai is EVERYTHING! It is LIFE! They are a symbol of what makes a woman so damned hot! Oppai is the goddess of all hot-blooded men!"

"Exactly!" Matsuda nodded strongly. "It don't matter if their tits are big or small! So long as they've got the bazongas, they're women dammit! Anyone who doesn't love boobs is not a man!"

Motohama sweat-dropped. "...I know we're perverts, I'm willing to admit that much." he said in exasperation. "But you two are obsessed."

"Damn right we are! And we are proud of it!" Issei crossed his arms in victory.

"Hell yeah!" Matsuda wrapped an arm around his brother's shoulder.

The glasses-wearing pervert could only sigh, scratching the back of his head. He had to admit, these two were rather eccentric... well, then again, they were friends for a reason, he guessed. Matsuda, while being a lolicon, was not that bad of a guy. He stood up for him back in elementary school when some bullies came around and started to mess with him. He was glad for it, and the two had a common interest: girls. Motohama could accurately guess their three sizes, and Matsuda, well... he had a thing for girls of short stature, regardless of the size of their busts. They hadn't met Issei until middle school, where he defended them from a group of guys who were apparently perverts too... except these guys were the worst.

They would constantly harass girls into satisfying their dirty desires. They would spew dirty remarks and offend the girls around the school. One of them even tried to forcefully remove the shirt of a girl and cope a feel.

There had been times where they framed him and Matsuda for their perverted pranks, such as stealing underwear and clothes from the girls' lockeroom.

There was even one time where they couldn't tame their lust and actually tried to hold down the most popular girl in school down and gang rape her!

"Tried," being the key word. The incident was well known in their middle school, especially because it was the perverted trio who put a stop to it. Motohama wasn't good in a fight, but he sure as well wasn't about to let disgusting pigs do something so horrible to a woman, especially one as beautiful as her. Matsuda was in complete agreement, kicking one of the bastard's teeth in, though Issei had beaten them all to the punch when he knocked one of the bastard's down with a heavy right hook.

Even though the three had come out with broken bones, bruised faces, black eyes, and dislocated limbs, they emerged victorious.

And those bastards got expelled and sent to prison on the count of attempted rape.

It was slightly disappointing that they were still recognized as perverts, but everyone in school didn't give them as much crap as they did before. After all, while the three of them may be perverts, even they had standards, and those bastards had crossed the line. It was also because of that incident that they became such great friends in the first place. Really, he enjoyed their company... even if he did find their taste in boobs, Issei's in particular, to be a bit over the top.

"Anyway, did you at least get a look at Katase-chan or Murayama-chan's naked body?!" Issei's question brought Motohama out of his musings. It appeared that they had moved away to another conversation. "Their lower treasures?! Oppai?! Some skin at least?!"

"I almost had a good look at their exposed rears before we got busted," Matsuda replied. "Dammit, we were so close! Just a few more seconds, and the bras would've been off!"

"I Know...You just HAD to sneeze, didn't ya?"

"Hey, can I help it if my allergies find the worst moment to appear?!"

Issei sighed as he fell to his back, his skin tickled slightly by the blades of grass poking at his skin. "Man, this sucks..." he muttered. "We got enrolled in this kickass school, and so far, we haven't even gotten ourselves so much as a single girlfriend." he complained. "Is Kuoh seriously all it's cracked up to be?"

"Are you seriously asking that?" Motohama gaped. "Issei, Kuoh Academy, up until two years ago, was an all girls school! A prestigious academy where only the fairest of maidens attend! We managed to get inside what I dare say is the Nirvana of all beautiful women!"

"Yep," Matsuda grinned. "After all, they've got hotties like Toujou-chan, the unofficial mascot!"

"And Sona-kaichou, of the Student Council!" the glasses-wearing pervert added, a perverted smile forming on his face as he pushed up his glasses. "And then of course..."

Issei smirked. "The Two Great Onee-samas..." he sighed dreamily. "Aaaaah... Wouldn't I give anything to get at least one grope off of either of Gremory-senpai or Himejima-senpai's oppai!"

"Well I for one want nothing more than to cuddle with Toujou-chan...She is just so cute like a kitten!"

"Sona-kaichou is the smartest girl in school, and she has a beauty that matches her intellect!"

The three boys continued to fantasize about their respective beauties. Issei, for his part, kept his relatively tame, or as tame as this could be, imaging himself in the wonderful bosom of both the sexy red-head, and the stunning raven-haired beauty.

As he daydreamed, he felt a small splat go against his cheek. It caused him to snap out of his fantasy, and touched his cheek. Something wet touched his tips. As he pulled it from his face, he saw a clear fluid against his fingers. Looking up, he saw the sky writhing angrily around with gray, ugly clouds. "Uh-oh..." he said as he sat up. "Looks like it's gonna pour."

"Ah, dammit! Just when I was about to have a good fantasy!"

"Save it. We gotta go before we're soaked." Motohama said.

The three got up from their spot and made their way over to shelter.

They made it inside the school, and in the nick of time as well. No sooner had they entered the small hallway leading into the main building had it begun to pour. It didn't come off slow, it was already running at full force, immediately dampening the ground. "Damn," Matsuda commented. "From the looks of it, it's gonna be a nasty one. Ya think we might get a typhoon?"

"Nah, doubt it." Motohama replied. "Weather report said it was just gonna be some heavy pelting. Still, this is crazy... This might keep up into tomorrow, too."

"Seriously? Ah, dammit. We don't even have umbrellas!" Issei cursed.

"If this keeps up, I wouldn't be surprised if we got fog too."

"Guess that means no looking at girls in swimsuits tomorrow." Matsuda sighed. "Aw, man... and Toujou-chan's in that class!"

"Nothing you can really do 'bout that, now can ya?" Issei said dryly. "Oh well... Anyway, should we head to class early? It's still lunch, so we've got some free time left."

"Meh. Might as well. Nothing much better to do right now." His friends shrugged.

"Look on the bright side, if there were any girls still out there...maybe we get to see them in their soaked uniforms~"

The thought alone caused the three to develop perverted smiles. Issei could imagine any girl out there, mostly either Rias Gremory or Akeno Himejima.

He could see it all. Those moist, damp clothes clinging to their heavenly frames and bountiful mounds. The water making the white shirts of the uniforms translucent that you could see the tint of their complexion, as well as their underwear...

Just the thought of it was driving him mad!

"Um..." a shy voice called out from behind him. Driven from his fantasies, he turned around to see a girl standing behind him. It was a young girl with pink eyes and long pink hair styled in pigtails, two hanging as frontal locks featuring a pair of red bows, and the back pigtails left bare. Like any girl here at Kuoh, she wore the casual uniform, a formal white shirt with frills and a red skirt, which left her wonderful, long legs bare, and a black cape that hung shortly on her shoulders. "E-excuse me..." she said meekly, a faint blush on her cheeks. Issei had to admit, she looked rather cute. If the sudden interest of Matsuda and Motohama were any indication, they were as well, as the glasses-wearing pervert adjusted his glasses, staring at her intensely. "A-are you... Issei Hyoudou-kun?"

The brunette raised an eyebrow, but nodded. "Yeah... what can I do for you?"

"...h-here!"

To his surprise, the girl shoved something in his hands. Looking down, he saw it was a dark blue umbrella with a duck-shaped handle.

"Huh? An umbrella...? What-?" But right after Issei looked up, the girl was already moving away quickly. "...What was that about?"

"...I have no idea..."

"Who cares? A cute girl just gave you an umbrella!"

Issei was still confused as he looked at the umbrella, and where the girl left. Strangely, he felt as if he had met her somewhere before, but shrugged his shoulders. He had probably seen her while passing through the halls at some point in time or another. At any rate, he wasn't about to complain, considering he had something to keep him dry.

"You know," Matsuda glared at him playfully. "You're a lucky bastard, you know that?"

"I concur..." Motohama nodded vigorously. "She was a D! 38-23-27!"

"S-Seriously?!" Issei gawked. A Girl with THAT type of Body just gave him an umbrella? Still...he should probably find her and thank her for it.

However, before he could even attempt to do so, the bell rung, signalling the end of lunch, and serving as the ten-minute warning for students to reach their classes. "Whaaaaat?" Matsuda groaned. "I thought we had at least more time before this! This blows..."

"Oh well," Motohama shrugged. "Let's go, before classes start."

"...I guess," Issei agreed, slipping the umbrella into his bag before turning with his friends, making way for their next class.

It looks like things were going to be boring as usual. Although the girl handing him an umbrella was an unexpected development.

Unknown to Issei and his perverted friends, the girl was behind him quite a ways, blending well within the crowd.

Her eyes were focused on the brown haired pervert. "Issei Hyoudou..." She whispered, an unsettling grin on her face.

The unsettling look in her eyes had managed to reach the pervert's senses, causing him to shiver. _'Brrr...'_ he shuddered. _'What's this cold glare I'm getting? I got a baaad feeling about this...'_

 **-DxD: FINAL-**

Outside of the school, placed near in the more darker, daintier streets of Kuoh, a group of delinquents hung out in an alleyway. They were all dressed in ratty clothing, the females of the group showing off more skin than needed, wearing gaudy outfits and messy hair, while the men looked like stereotypical thugs, shaved heads, cold glares, lip piercings; the whole nine yards. The alley was bustling with activity, whooping and music blaring off while a few of them were having cigarettes or simply drinking alcohol.

They didn't care if anyone glared at them or told them to shut up. Screw them! This world had been nothing but shit to them. Society had abandoned them. So why would they give them any damn respect?

They say screw it all!

"Man, what a drag..." a young man muttered. His hair was shaven close, remnants of dark red hair left behind on his scalp. He was a drop out from the look of things, dressed in the Kuoh Academy uniform, wearing a black blazer with white trims. "This whole thing's stupid. Do you know what that asshole was talking shit about now? About how some girl he likes is interested in some loser. I mean," he took a drag of his cigarette. "Who gives a damn?"

"I know, right?" The delinquent opposite of him agreed. In contrast to his companion, his hair was long, unruly, dyed blonde, and shadowed half his face. His uniform was tied around his waist, leaving him in a sleeveless shirt, revealing the numerous tattoos he had on his shoulders. "All those idiots are just whiny bitches who keep bitchin that society's unfair. Well guess what? It is."

"Che, makes ya wish society went to hell." the girl next to the blonde man sneered. She had dark, tanned skin with dark red hair and gold eyes, wearing a pink tank-top that exposed her midriff, and denim booty shorts. "Speaking of stupid crap, have you heard about that rumor going around?"

"Rumor?" one of the boys asked.

"Yeah. About something called the Demon Summoning Application!"

"Demon?" the shaved delinquent scoffed. "Where the fuck did you hear that?"

"From one of the guys at the bar. Hell if I know what it's about, but he said that it supposedly summon demons. I thought the guy was on crack or something." She scoffed.

"Actually, I heard about it too." the dyed delinquent said. "Doubt it's legit though. I mean, demons? Who the hell believes that shit? Kids?"

This caused the three to burst out laughing. Meanwhile, the other delinquents continued to simply drink or dance to the blaring music on the radio beside them. The only one that didn't was an introvert, who stayed off to the corner. He was wearing a baggy white shirt and stained denim jeans, his bleached hair messy and unkempt. A crazed look was found in his eyes, a symbol of something crazed and chaotic, his cell phone held in his hands.

His thumb was scrolling through the screen and pressing the buttons repeatedly. He was going through apps until he found a specific one he was searching far. Immediately he clicked on it. The screen was overtaken by a blood red hue as the words spelled themselves out.

 ** _WELCOME TO THE DEMON SUMMONING APP..._**

 **-DxD: FINAL-**

"Crap, it's still raining?" Motohama complained when they reached the front gates. The heavy pelting continued to pour down on the ground, staining it dark. "You know, Issei, I'm starting to feel jealous that cute babe got you that umbrella!"

"Hah! But seriously though...why did she give me umbrella. Who was she anyway?"

"Seriously? You question a cute girl popping out of nowhere and just handing you something you needed?"

"...Yes. Yes I am. I actually have a right to be suspicious."

"Well," Motohama pushed up his glasses. "As it turns out, she's in our fifth period class."

"W-wait, seriously?!" Issei blinked. "How did I not notice that?!"

"You were asleep," the glasses-wearing teen answered. "So you wouldn't have known. Actually, how do you fall asleep in English?!"

"Ah, shut up!"

"Anyway... her name's Yuno Gasai. From what I understand, she's a first year."

"Really? Based on what you told me, I would've thought she was in our year."

"Same. But it doesn't really matter."

"What do you mean?" Issei asked.

"Well, I don't know much... other than that everyone in school thinks she's creepy.'

The brunette frowned. "How so?"

"I dunno, they didn't really say. All they said is that she's obsessed with someone here."

"So..." Matsuda tilted his head. "She's a stalker?"

"By the sound of it, pretty much. Although some of the guys could actually vouch that she is a genuine yandere."

Issei frowned. A cute girl like that? A yandere? No way. She looked to cute and innocent... but then again, looks can be deceiving. "Well, anyway..." Matsuda slipped his hands behind his head. "She seems pretty nice... and she's got the hots for Issei. Dunno about her tastes, though."

The brunette felt a tick mark pulse above his eyebrow. "Hey... I'm right here, ya know."

"Yeah. We know." Both teens replied simply.

"...You jackasses!"

Issei scowled, whirling around. "Screw you guys!" he snapped as he moved out into the rain, unfolding the umbrella the girl had given him.

Both blanched at the reminder neither of them had umbrellas.

"Issei, you ass!" Matsuda screamed. "Lend us that thing too!"

Issei merely blew them a rasberry, and continued to walk away from them.

"You dick!"

Issei ignored him as he trudged on.

 _'Serves them right,'_ he snickered to himself. _'Still... Yuno Gasai, huh?'_

He never really noticed her till now. It was like she hid her presence from him this whole time.

She seemed to be relatively nice, but he couldn't really form an actual opinion yet, seeing as how he had yet to actually get to know her better yet. She was pretty cute... and curvy, if what Motohama said was true. He didn't get a good look at her body, since she just came and gave him an umbrella and left.

He regretted not nothing, as curiosity now plagued him.

He continued to think about the mysterious girl, even as he reached the small bridge that passed over the street below. Afterwards, there would be a small strip of street that would lead to the residential district. His house was there, where his family would be waiting for them. Now that he thought about his family, he wondered if they would actually try and put him up on a blind date... not that he'd want to. He wanted to find his own girl, not have her handed to him!

He sighed in frustration. His parents were only looking out for him. And given his perverted behavior, it'd only be natural for them to worry about him.

Even still... why did they constantly have to believe that they would not have any grandchildren?! Wasn't that thinking ahead of themselves?!

"Um... e-excuse me...?"

"Huh?" Issei stopped walking, noticing the person before him.

It was a girl, though it wasn't the pink-haired one that had been on his mind lately. It was a girl around his own age, bearing long black hair and violet eyes, wearing a dark red jacket with the letter "P" embroidered in gold, a white undershirt, a red bow, and a green skirt with a thin white strip around the lower end of it. She held an umbrella in her hands, which was being bounced around between her palms nervously.

"A-are you...?" the girl spoke nervously. Issei had to admit, she was cute... and her bust...! That voice! Haaaaa...! This was the kind of girl he was looking for! "I-Issei Hyoudou-kun?"

'I feel like I've been through this before.' the brunette thought, but shrugged. "Yep, the one and only."

"Ah! Thank Goodness!" The girl sighed in relief. She fidgeted slightly as her face reddened.

"So... what's up?" he asked curiously. "Do you need something?"

"Ah, um... my name is... Y-Yuuma." she introduced herself, bowing her head. "Y-Yuuma Amano."

"Nice to meet you." Issei nodded, not sure where this was going.

"S-so, um...c-can I...ask you something p-personal?"

He raised an eyebrow. Why was she fidgeting so much? And why was her face so red? Was she embarrassed about something?

...waaaaaaaaait a minute here! Those flushed cheeks... That flustered voice... Those bashful voice... It-it couldn't be... could it?!

"A-are you... seeing anyone?"

IT IS!

She...she...this cute girl was asking him out!

"N-no!" he shouted, a bit too loudly for his own liking, a result of his excitement. Yuuma recoiled, causing him to wince as a result, and scratched the back of his head. This was it! This was his chance! A real chance to get a girlfriend! A chance for OPPAI! "I-I mean, no... I'm not really in a relationship with anyone. Why...do you ask?"

"W-well...I...I was wondering...Would...Would you go out with me?" She bowed.

Instantly, Issei smiled brightly. Finally! Finally!

HE FINALLY HAD A CHANCE!

 **-DxD: FINAL _-_**

Or... so he thought...

"S-shit..." he cursed, his chest burning in agony. "T-this sucks...!"

Issei Hyoudou laid face down in a growing pool of his own blood. His fingers were clutched against the open wound on his chest in a futile attempt to stop the bleeding.

It had been a few days since he had accepted going out with Yuuma Amano.

They had agreed to go out on a Sunday, where they would be able go out on a date. The weather was perfect, nothing but a clear blue sky... but everything had gone wrong. Horribly wrong. Yuuma wasn't the kind and sweet girl he thought she was... he wasn't even sure if she was even human in the first place. When their date had finally reached an end, she had become so cold and taunting, black wings like that of a crow folding out from her back. He barely registered what was going on before he suddenly found a hole in his stomach.

That was why he was on the ground, blood flowing between his fingers, and his eyes slowly dimming.

Agh...dammit...All he wanted was a nice date and he is going to end up dead? What cruel irony.

He didn't even get a chance to grope a single girl's chest... It totally blew.

"D-dammit..." he coughed, blood gushing from the side of his mouth. "What the...h-hell..." He thought back to his life up till now. It wasn't all that exciting to begin with. The reason for his perversity had been arrested, but he had parted the words of wisdom that had been engraved into his mind, the wonders of the body of a woman... and the glorious treasure known as oppai. He hadn't forgotten it. Oh, how he wished to grab at it at least once!

Kuoh was his big chance, and the girls... damn, all of them were hotties! Every last one of them! Especially Katase and Murayama! He wished he could have seen them in their underwear, at least once.

Oh, wait... he'd almost forgot. He got that umbrella from that girl... what was her name again? Yuno? Yeah... he needed to give her back her... umbrella...

 _'Shit...'_ he cursed once again. _'I can... hardly see...'_

His vision was fading slowly, darkness begun to swallow his sight. His hearing faded as well, replaced by static.

What was once pain in his chest was now going numb.

 _'Aw, man... Is this...'_ he thought as his breathing was becoming slow and light. _'Where I'm... gonna die?'_

A wry smirk found it's way to his face.

"Total..." he wheezed as his eyes slowly fluttered close. "B-bull...sh...i..."

Finally, darkness had claimed its victim. Issei slumped limply, his body now cold.

On February 10th, 2016, Issei Hyoudou died.

 **-DxD: FINAL-**

 _ **"...how intriguing."**_

Issei slowly felt himself stir, his body aching all over in pain. His head throbbed painfully while his eyes were struck with an irritating pain. "Son of a bitch..." he growled, feeling as if his body had just been through the grinder. "It...it fucking hurts!"

 ** _"Of course it would."_** The voice responded. **_"You just got run through in the chest by a spear of light. I would assume that it must burn horribly."_**

"W-what...?" Slowly, Issei found himself awakening, his eyes blinking rapidly. It was getting hard to adjust to the light, or whatever was causing that infernal white blotch that was forcing him to wince. Slowly, however the light died down, allowing him to see his surroundings. He couldn't help but feel confused and shocked by what he saw. "W-what the hell... is this?!"

It was not Kuoh Central Park at all... rather, it was an expansive landscape, little more than a barren wasteland. The sky above him was a cold, dark purple with rumbling, black thunderclouds hanging above him, and everything that stretched out into the distance seemed to go on for miles and miles.

It was all so eerie and ominous...yet so picturesque, like an actual portrait.

But Issei didn't really care about that. He cared about what the hell he was doing here.

 _ **"This is something that exists between life and death..."**_ a voice called out from behind. **_"I suppose you could call it... Limbo, in a sense."_**

Issei whirled around, facing the owner of the voice...and screamed.

"WH-WHAT THE HELL?!"

Before the young man's eyes was a being of greater stature than he. He was clad in dark-gray, earth-like armor that had several gold orbs adorned on his shoulders, thighs, calves, and chest. Around his waist was a large golden belt that covered his mid ailing from his neck was a tattered black scarf. His head while, short orange hair that covered his scalp and lower face. However, the upper portion of his face was concealed by a dark-gray iron mask that displayed his green eyed. The mask had a small segment that divided the lower half of his face dead center, revealing his skeletal jaw.

The being tilted his head, bearing a composed stature with his arms folded over his chest. **_"Oh?"_** the being inquired with a booming voice. **_"Is this the first time meeting a demon?"_**

Issei couldn't voice his answer. He still trembled at the being's startling presence. He looked somewhat human, but he clearly wasn't.

What was going on?!

 _ **"Hm, you appear confused."**_ the being noted idly. **_"Then again, I suppose that is within human nature after being killed."_**

"K-killed...?!" This got his attention. He...he was dead?

It was then that he remembered. Slowly, his head lowered down to look at his body. His shirt was stained crimson, and a gaping hole was there at his stomach. His eyes widened, the color draining from the face. The memories came back at him in full force. He remembered seeing Yuuma's sweet smile turn cold and malicious, how the atmosphere became icky and cold, how black wings emerged from her back, and how she...

She... killed him...

"I-I'm..." he swallowed a heavy lump in his throat, his hand shaking. "R-really... dead?"

 ** _"Yes. Yes you are..."_** The demon nodded. **_"In all honesty though...your death was pretty tame compared to many others I've seen. They had limbs blown off, beheaded, bodies bisected, skin completely flayed off, burnt to ashes, drowned, hacked to pieces, dissection, electrocuted to death, buried alive, eaten alive, the works."_**

Issei blanched, his face growing paler by the second. This thing was NOT helping him! "S-so... what?" he choked on his own voice. "I-I'm in... hell?"

Thankfully, much to his relief, the being shook his head. **_"No, you are not."_** he replied. **_"As I said, this existence is akin to what you humans know as Limbo."_** He lowered his head, a if nodding. **_"I am Dagda. I am what you would know as... a demon."_**

The brown haired teen paused as he took this in. "A...A Demon...?"

 _ **"Correct."**_

Issei didn't answer right away. He was still trying to understand everything that was happening, it was all so... happening so damned fast.

He felt dizzy and nauseous. He felt like throwing up.

 _ **"So then,"**_ Dagda stated, his tone thick and heavy. **_"Here we stand, with your fate uncertain. Tell me, human... If you die here, what will you do?"_**

What would he do...? What WOULD he do...? He was dead...

...This...This couldn't be happening...he refused to let it happen...he refused to just sit here and die...he...he wanted to have another chance...he wanted to grope oppai...

 _...HE WANTED TO LIVE!_

"I...I wanna live..." he sobbed, a hand over his face. Tears broke from his eyes, flowing between his digits, choked breaths escaping his throat. "I still... have things I want to do...!"

Dagda appeared curious, as he put a hand to his chin. "Such as... what?"

"I...I...I WANT TO GROPE OPPAI!" He cried out.

 ** _"...what?"_** The Demon stared at him blankly.

"Oppai dammit!" Issei screamed. "A woman's bountiful treasure! Their chests! The ultimate wonder of the world! Do you know what a man's ultimate dream is, Dagda?!"

" ** _Er, no..."_** Dagda replied slowly, not sure what this human was even talking about. **_"I'm afraid I don't."_**

"A man's dream is to grab them, to squeeze them... TO SUCK ON A WOMAN'S BREAST!" the brunette screamed, slamming up to his feet, anime-style tears running down his cheeks. "That's a man's dream dammit!"

 ** _"I... I see."_** the orange-haired entity sweat-dropped. Really, he had no contact with humans up until this point, but he was sure that they were not as... eccentric, as this one.

But he supposed he could've had worse contractors. He had learned of other types of humans from other demons. Some were insatiable douchebags that just used women, others were psychotic murderers, others were corrupt humans, or others were battle maniacs.

He vaguely recalled hearing about the last one, apparently the Vanishing Dragon if what he remembered to be correct. Perhaps it might have been fate that this boy was going to be his contractor... provided he accepted.

 ** _"...tell me, Issei Hyoudou,"_** Dagda spoke his name, causing the brunette to blink. It was an obvious reaction, given that he had not told the being his name. ** _"If I told you I could bring you back to the land of the living... what would you do?"_**

"I WOULD GROPE OPPAI!" He answered with no hesitation whatsoever.

Dagda let out a brief sigh. The boy missed the point. His words, however, did seem to register when the brunette suddenly lost his determined and hardened expression, his eyes blinking rapidly. "...could you repeat that?"

 ** _"I said,"_** he repeated himself, annoying as it was. **_"I can bring you back to life... Though don't think it is for free."_**

The brunette gulped, a hand at his throat. "Y-your not... gonna take my soul, are you?"

Dagda gave him a flat look. **_"Boyo, do I LOOK like a Fiend?"_** he asked rhetorically. Before he could answer, he shook his head. **_"Never mind... I will ask once more, do you want to live?"_**

"Of course I do!" Issei shouted back. "What do I have to do to get another chance?!"

 ** _"You will understand, in time..."_** Dagda closed his eyes, his face(?) appearing solemn. **_"However... know this, boyo. If you accept this offer, you will not be able to return to your ordinary life. Everything you once held and cherished, your daily routine, your happy life... It will no longer exist. From the moment you awaken in the world of the living, you will know only hardships, suffering, and despair. Should you choose to brave such horrendous trials, you shall achieve power beyond imagination."_**

He opened his eyes, bearing straight into Issei's brown orbs. **_"Do you still want to return to life... Issei Hyoudou?"_**

Issei now stood to pause and think. So what he was saying...was that if he came back to life...it wouldn't be HIS life anymore? Everything that he had known...would just disappear?

He really didn't get it, but... he couldn't stand by here. He needed a dream to fulfill dammit! "I accept!"

Dagda didn't look pleased as one would. In fact, he felt slightly disappointed. The boy didn't understand... A shame. It appeared he would learn the hard way. **_"Very well,"_** he spoke, his tone grave as if he were speaking at Issei's funeral. **_"So be it."_**

Issei wasn't sure what was supposed to happen now. Perhaps he would somehow fall unconscious, and miraculously awaken in the plaza? Maybe the demon would put his hand on his forehead, rendering him unconscious, and he'd be back in his bed? As if the whole thing never happened? The possibilities were varied, but he had expected them to happen harmlessly, or at least with little pain.

He was wrong.

Faster than what he thought possible, Dagda had rammed his hand into his chest. What happened next was enough for him to scream at the very top of his lungs, a burning scream ripping out from his throat.

 _"GRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"_

It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. **IT HURTS!**

It wasn't just the area where he was stabbed, his entire body burned with absolute agony! It felt as if his flesh was on fire, frozen solid, and reheated all over again!

Blood began to gush from his eyes forming into tears of blood. Red liquid oozed from his ears, trailing down his neck. Even globs of the disgusting, metallic taste began to gush out from his throat, dribbling down his chin. Red and green sparks danced all around him, twitching and shaking uncontrollably. His eyes looked as if they were about to bulge.

Seconds, minutes, hours... he wasn't sure how long the pain continued to last. All he knew was that his body was screaming in absolute pain and agony.

Oh, god... Make it stop!

MakeItStopMakeItStopMakeItStopMakeItStopMakeItStopMakeItStopMakeItStopMakeItStopMakeItStopMakeItStopMakeItStopMakeItStop!

MAKE **IT** _**STOP!**_

Despite his pleas, the pain continued. For some reason...he felt as if he experienced something similar to this...only in the form of mind-breaking, soul-crushing torture.

Finally, however, Dagda pulled his arm out. Issei hung there for several seconds. His arms, which had been outstretched, his fingers curled as a result of the pain, now hung loosely at his sides, and his knees bended forward. Finally, however, his body fell backwards.

Dagda sighed heavily as he stared up at the sky. _ **"Far too long..."**_ he murmured bitterly. **_"Far too long have they made humans their livestock, their precious slaves..."_** He glanced down at Issei's comatose form. **_"Perhaps, this boy... Perhaps you can change the world."_** If he could smile, he would, nodding in approval. _**"I look forward to seeing your actions... Issei Hyoudou."**_

 **-DxD: FINAL-**

"Wake up! Wake up!" an irritated voice snapped at the sleeping boy, accompanied by the annoying sound of a bell ringing hazardly, aggravating him from his slumber. "If you don't wake up, I-I'll have to... K-kiss you!"

The noise was silenced as a hand was slammed onto the alarm. Blurry eyes slowly opened to take in their current surroundings.

"Mnrgh... h-huh... what...?"

A young boy emerged from the bed, the covers falling from his body. He blinked tiredly at his surroundings as he rubbed his eyes with one arm. Eventually, his sense of sight repaired itself. He was back in his room... his nice, comfy room, marred with anything and everything ecchi. "...Holy crap." Issei muttered as he yawned, a hand over his mouth. "What a crazy dream... note to self, don't stay up playing hentai games all night."

He then moved his hand to rub the remaining drowsiness out of his eyes. However, as he moved them out of the way, he stopped.

His attention was focused on his hand...or rather...what was ON his hand. His gaze slowly trailed downwards, shock and questions filling his mind.

"...the hell?"

Issei wondered if he was still dreaming. He knew for a fact that these WERE NOT there when he went to sleep.

Scribbled on his left hand were green markings, on the center of the back of his hand being what he assumed to be a four-leaved clover of some sort. Lines extended outward from it, encompassing his hand as it ran along his fingers. He pulled up his sleeve, and saw that the markings continued up to his forearm, stopping abruptly halfway towards the elbow.

"Wh-What the hell are these things?!"

He growled out of frustration as he licked his thumb and began to rub it against the marks. It did not help at all whatsoever, proving that either they had been there all night to dry, or whatever made this was permanent. Grumbling, he went inside the bathroom, hoping that he could probably wash out the marks more thoroughly. He closed the door behind him, and faced the mirror as he bent down somewhat to turn on the sink. However, his hand stopped when he saw his reflection in the mirror.

His body froze completely, eyes wide in disbelief, and mouth agape. "...what the hell...?"

Issei, by any means, was not what you would call handsome. In fact, one would say he would be ordinary. His brown hair was rather messy up at the front, and perhaps a bit too long. He had contemplated cutting his bangs so he could see better. His eyes were the same color as his hair as well, both being features he inherited from his parents. He was very happy to have traits from both of his parents. It was proof that he was their son.

And, yet...

It was his skin that was the issue of his current predicament. The very same markings that were on his hand were also present on his face!

Unlike the one on his hand, however, it was on the right side of his face, forming into a curved, green scar. The scar curved at his cheek, and ran down his neck before it scrawled all around down to his collarbone, underneath the protrusion and to his shoulder. He pulled up his shirt, revealing the left side of his body. He had little muscle, in fact one could say he was flabby, all thin and barely able to keep up, but he was better than Motohama. Now, however... his body was well-toned, slight outlines of muscles all across his body.

But that wasn't what shocked him. He didn't see his dark brown eyes. No, they were no longer there.

Instead, he found a pair of green orbs, staring right back at him, in a mixture of shock and confusion and bewilderment.

"Wh-what the hell is going on?!" He rubbed his eyes again to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. But even after he did, they were still there.

How was this possible? How could his eyes change from brown to green in a single night?!

 _'If you accept this offer, you will not be able to return to your ordinary life. Everything you once held and cherished, your daily routine, your happy life... It will no longer exist. From the moment you awaken in the world of the living, you will know only hardships, suffering, and despair. Should you choose to brave such horrendous trials, you shall achieve power beyond imagination.'_

Issei recalled the words of the being, the demon...Dagda. Was this what he was referring to? Was what happened in that dream... for real? B-but there wasn't a hole in his chest! So... why...?!

"T-this is gotta be some joke..." he tried to reason with himself, unable to understand what was going on. He turned swiftly on his feet, his hand on the doorknob. "I-I know! I'll go to the plaza before I head to school! Y-yeah, that's it! M-maybe I can clear all of this up if I go there!"

He opened the door, and promptly stood still.

 ** _"Ah, you are awake."_**

The brown haired teen froze where he stood. Unable to comprehend what was happening.

Dagda was sitting on his bed, his arms resting on his knees.

The being from his dream was on his bed.

The demon he made a deal with was on his bed.

 **HE** was on _HIS_ bed!

"W-wh-wha..." he tried to from proper ways, trying to find some way to express his own words and feelings. Instead, he could only utter bits and pieces of how he felt. "W-why...how...?!"

 ** _"Please, think before you speak."_** The Demon raised a hand. **_"I can barely understand you with all your stuttering."_**

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"

 ** _"What do you mean? Of course I'm here. You are my contractor."_**

"C-Contractor?!" Issei gaped. "What the hell does that mean?! Moreover, what the fuck are these marks?!"

 ** _"They are proof that you have been resurrected,"_** Dagda told him. **_"The mark of one who is destined to partake in deicide."_**

"D-Deicide...?" Issei repeated. He didn't like the sound of that word.

 ** _"Oh?"_** The demonic being tilted his head. **_"Do you not know the meaning of the word?"_**

"N-no... d-do I have to like decide on something?"

Dagda shook his head. **_"No, not decide. 'DE-I-CI-DE.'"_** he pronounced it carefully, so he could understand. **_"You may think of it the same as genocide... except it will not be humans you will kill."_**

Immediately, Issei felt his heart wrench. "W-wait, what do you mean by kill?!" he shouted, hysterical. "I-I don't understand! What do you mean by 'kill?!'"

" ** _Do you recall my words? Of how you would no longer hold the life you have?_** " Dadga asked him. He nodded, his hand on his heart. Even now... he could still recall the hole in his stomach that Raynare created. **_"Humans are the only ones who hold that luxury, to live a life without having to realize the truth of this world. You, however, can no longer remain blind to the truth... no longer can you live like a normal human."_**

"W-what..." he took a step back. What the hell did that mean?! What was he getting at?! What was going on?! "W-what the hell? W-what...what happened to me?" He grabbed the demon by the collar of it's cloak, pulling it close to his face as his eyes glowered with anger. "What the fuck did you do to me?!"

 ** _"Issei Hyoudou... you died as a human. As of today, you are reborn."_** Dadga said, his tone serious, and his eyes glowering bright green.

 ** _"...as a god slayer."_**

End of LIFE 01


	2. Volume 1: Life 2: Beginning of the End

Disclaimer: This story is a product of fanfiction. Highschool DxD and the Shin Megami Tensei franchise are owned by their respective creators, Funimation and Atlus. Any and all relations to real-life places or people are mere coincidences.

With that in mind... Demons Anarchy of Pride and CodeEmperor07 are proud to present: DxD: FINAL!

* * *

"Rend, slaughter, devour your enemies... It is the only other way to survive. You cannot escape your hunger, warriors of purgatory." -Jenna Angel, Digital Devil Saga

* * *

 **DxD: FINAL**

 _Volume 1: Birth of a God-Killer_

* * *

 ** _Life 02: Beginning of the End  
_**

Issei, the moment he heard those words escape the being before him, felt his whole world start to crash down on his shoulder like steel weights.

A...God Slayer...He was supposed to slay Gods?! What utter bull crap is this?!

"W-wh..." He was starting to regain his senses, shaking his head wildly. "E-eh?! W-what do you mean I'm supposed to kill gods?! You mean I'm a freaking Campione now?! N-no way! Nu-uh! Screw that! All I want to do is live a normal and average life!"

Dagda raised an "eyebrow," not understanding the meaning of the reference, but he didn't seem to be angered about Issei's reaction. Instead, he looked... sad? It was hard to tell, given his skeletal face. "I am afraid that you will not be able to return to this peaceful life you once relished, Issei... It is apart of our contract."

"Screw that!" Issei barked back. "What are you to tell me what I can or can't do?! Screw this contract crap!"

"Issei..." Dagda's voice cut into his mind like a knife. "Whether you like it or not, contracts must be honored."

"And you just expect to me trust you?!" the brunette growled. "Look, I'm grateful you brought me back, but this is just total bullshit! Besides, how the holy hell do you expect me to kill a god?! I'm just a normal seventeen year old kid who loves oppai, and has absolutely NO athletic ability whatsoever!"

"...I see," the demon hummed, rubbing his chin curiously. "So, you are unaware of what you are carrying..."

"The hell are you-"

"Issei! Are you awake yet?!" his mother's voice shouted from below the staircase, causing him to jump. Panic set in immediately, now suddenly realizing the situation he was in. If his mom walked in...! "It's almost time to for school!"

"Shit shit SHIT!" Issei cursed as he looked around the room idly. "How am I supposed to explain you?! F-find somewhere to hide!"

"There will be no need for that." Dagda replied casually, not in the least bit worried. Issei stared at him with large eyes. Was this guy for real?! He was a walking Thriller reject monster! If his mother saw him, she'd flip! "Don't worry, just let her in."

Sadly, Issei had no time to form a retort as the door to his room open. He jumped, whirling around to face his mother. 'Shit, I am so dead...' he thought, unable to find a way to explain the monster that was sitting on his bed, much less his green eyes and the marks on his cheek and hand. "Oh, your already up." his mother remarked, causing him to blink rapidly. He stared at her as if she had just grown a second head. "Now get dressed, honey. School starts in half an hour."

"...huh?"

"School. Half an hour. Get Ready." She repeated with a tone of finality.

Issei was seriously confused. Did she NOT notice the fact he had glowing green tattoos or the freakshow sitting on his bed?!

"...uh...okay?" he said, not entirely sure what the heck was going on. His mother smiled, nodding, and left the room. As soon as she did, Issei whirled to face Dagda, who was still on his bed. "Okay, what the hell was that?! How could my mother NOT see you?!"

"It is because she has little to no spiritual awareness, boyo." the demon stated. "Unless she herself is a demon, or another supernatural entity, she would have been able to sense, or perceive my form here. As you are now one who partakes in the communion of deicide, you are capable of sensing, as well as perceiving the forms of other demons."

"...wait, back up a sec... did you just say 'another supernatural entity?'" Dagda nodded. "...are you telling me that your not the only demon here?!"

"Hardly. There are other existences, such as the Greek Gods, the Biblical Angels, the unholy Devils, and so on..." the demon told him with a stern tone, as if a teacher giving a lecture. "Simply put, every lore and religion is, in fact, true. As a matter of fact, I used to be a member of the Irish pantheon before I became a demon."

"Wait...waitwaitwaitwaitwaitwaitwait...WAIT a minute here...You mean to say...pretty much EVERYONE from those religious stories and myths exist?! Every. single. ONE?!" Issei exclaimed in shock.

"Yes." Dagda answered simply.

"A-and you used to be a god too?!"

"The Good Irish God, at your service," the entity bowed his head formally. "Though, I'm more good at everything rather than being morally good. After all, if I were, I wouldn't be asking you to kill gods, my young friend."

"And how do you expect me to do that?!"

"You will come to understand, in time." Dagda answered cryptically, making Issei face-fault. Seriously, this guy...! "Now, I believe you have school to attend?"

"Ah, crap!" Issei pulled himself back up and looked at the clock. He only now had twenty-five minutes to get ready. "Dammit!" He grabbed his uniform from the foot of the bed and rushed to the bathroom.

As he did so, Dagda chuckled. "What an amusing human..." he said before his eyes softened. "...for what it is worth, boyo, I am sorry for thrusting this life unto you. I can only hope that you will withstand the hardships that are to come..."

* * *

"Yeesh, what a site..."

The crime scene was an absolute gore fest. The entire alleyway was redecorated with blood, guts, bones, and flesh. Massive splatters marred the dirtied walls while corpses laid about on the floor, sprawled about like furniture. Their bodies were torn apart and mangled, some of them even missing a few organs and limbs. One unlucky fellow was ripped in half, clutching his cell phone like a man possessed, his face impassive. It was like he hadn't known what was coming.

The detective wasn't sure what he was looking at, but whatever it was, it sure as hell wasn't done by a human. Hell, he wasn't even sure if this was done by an animal. Not even the most bestial creatures was capable of this. So, that begged the question... what the fuck killed these poor kids? "Sir," a young officer rushed up to him, stopping in front of his superior. "We've canvased the area, but it looks like the culprit is nowhere to be found. We can't even find a murder weapon."

The detective nodded grimly. "I figured as much... Though, I doubt any knife or sword can do all of this." he said solemnly. "Any word from forensics yet?"

"No, they're still going over the bodies for anything that can ID them, much less what killed them."

"I see..."

"By the way, sir, there's someone who wishes to speak with you." The detective raised an eyebrow. Somebody wanted to speak with him? An eyewitness? Doubtful. If there were any, they would have found them by now. "He says he's from an organization affiliated with the Self-Defense Force."

The detective's eyes widened. The Self-Defense Force? Someone affiliated with guys like that was here? What for? Were there similar cases like this one? Still... this proved to be interesting. "Alright, where is he?"

The officer pointed to the alleyway entrance. There, speaking with another officer, was the man in question. The detective's eyes widened further. '...a kid?'

He was a man who looked rather young, around his late teens. He was dressed in a white blazer with black and green highlights, bearing an empty gray emblem on his left shoulder. He also had dark hair and cold blue eyes.

The detective raised an eyebrow in skepticism. This had to be a joke... Well, either way, he should at least humor the kid and play along. He nodded to the officer, and walked up to the young man. "So, I hear your with the SDF?" he asked, folding his arms. "Pretty young, don't you think, kid?"

The young man smiled somewhat. "I tend to get that a lot, Mr. Tadokoro." he answered, his voice smooth like brass. He gave a polite, brief nod. "Also, I said I was affiliated with the Self-Defense Force. I never said I was with them."

"Then who the heck are you with?"

"Ah, yes. Allow me to introduce myself properly." The young man extended his hand. "My name is Hei Kamugaseki, member of the Counter-Demon Force. It's a pleasure to meet you."

* * *

"...why the hell are you following me around?"

"If I waited for you at home, I would no doubt be bored out of my mind. Besides, I've always wanted to see what the inner workings of a school were like."

The Irish God responded as he floated next to the irritated brown haired teen.

Issei scowled as he trudged his way to school. Not only did he have their morning discussion weighing down on his mind, but now the cause of his headache is stuck following him.

Just great.

As he passed through the school gates, he looked around the flowing crowd of students. None of them even so much as looked at him, some of them outright avoiding looking at him, possibly out of sheer disdain, and others just absorbed in their own conversations. _'I guess no one in Kuoh really an see this scar and tattoo.'_ he thought, looking down at his left hand. _'I don't get it... Why did this have to happen to me of all people?'_

"Yo, Issei!"

The brunette stopped, looking over his shoulder to see Matsuda waving at him, Motohoma right behind him. "Oh..." he said, smiling somewhat. At the very least, a few things stayed the same. "Hey guys. What's up?"

"What's up with the lame greeting?" the bald lolicon asked as he approached his friend. "Did your mom burn one of your mags?"

"More like my date with Yuuma-chan went to hell is what." Issei retorted, shaking his head. He really doubted his friends would believe him if he said that he was revived as apparently some god asskicker, so he said nothing. "That, and I had a rough morning, so..."

"Who's Yuuma?"

Motohama asked with confusion etched on his face. Matsuda shared the same expression.

Issei's face became one of befuddlement. Who's Yuuma...? They got to be kidding him. He just introduced her to them the other day.

"Oh, haha...very funny guys..." Issei shook his head. "Seriously, is this supposed to be a joke or something?"

"No. Seriously, who are you talking about? Who the hell is Yuuma?"

"Yuuma-chan was my..." he hesitated, frowning. Memories of how their date ended came back to mind, causing him to wince. He remembered that cold sneer as his life slowly ebbed away with each passing second, slowly coming to an end.

 ** _'I really had fun, Issei-kun... Honestly, playing with you was like playing house. You really were too cute... and stupid~'_**

"...no, never mind." Issei closed his eyes, shaking his head. "It's nothing. Just forget I ever mentioned it."

Motohama raised an eyebrow. "Ooookaaaay...?" he said as he looked to Matsuda, who looked equally as confused. "W-well... whatever. Anyway, you remember that girl I was talking to you about earlier? The one who gave you that umbrella?"

"Huh? You mean Yuno Gasai, from our class?"

"Yep." the glasses-wearing pervert grinned as he lifted up his specs. "I did a little more research on her... and I can't believe we didn't recognize her."

Issei frowned. "What does that mean?"

"Ya remember those pricks back from our final year in middle school?" Matsuda asked. The brunette scowled. How the hell could he forget those sleezebags. Those bastards brought the name of those seeking the wonders of the heavenly idol of worship known as hentai to shame, having nearly raped a girl. He felt a great deal of satisfaction when he slugged one of them in the face, breaking his nose in the process. "Well, turns out... She's the one that was almost raped by those bastards."

Issei's eyes widened. "Your kidding!" he cried in shock. "That was Yuno-chan?!"

"Yeah! Neither of us could believe it either..." Matsuda nodded. "And apparently, she even entered Kuoh the same year we did."

"Seriously? How come we are JUST finding out about this?"

"Heck if I know man." Motohama shrugged. "I do know one thing for certain though..." Issei gulped when a glare became present in his glasses as he adjusted them from his nose. Whenever Motohama did that... it must have been deadly serious. Just what was so serious that his rare, almost legendary "TOTAL SERIOUSNESS" face came about. He became more terrified when the pervert grabbed him by the shoulders, staring him dead in the face.

"W-what is it?"

"...sorry, dude, but your a dead man."

...

...

...

... _what_.

"...What?" Issei said what was on his mind. He looked to Matsuda for clarification, but the bald teen nodded his head in agreement.

"It was nice knowing you, my friend." He spoke solemnly.

Issei blinked. Once, twice, then thrice. Finally, he reacted.

"W-what the hell does that mean?!"

"Oho..." Dagda leaned in, curious. "This sounds interesting..."

 _'Damned demon...!'_

"Well, turns out, Yuno Gasai-chan is a yandere..." Motohama told him, folding his arms. "And... she's after you. So, yeah, your screwed."

...

...

...

"...Eh?"

Did he hear right? Y-Yuno...Yuno Gasai...a yandere...?

And... s-she was... after him?

"...if this a joke..." he said slowly, his face completely frozen. "I am not laughing.

"I wouldn't be joking about this man," the glasses-wearing pervert said solemnly. "It was nice knowing you dude."

"I... fail to understand this conversation." Dagda said, tilting his head. "Just what exactly makes this 'yandere' you three speak of so terrifying? Is this Yuno Gasai some sort of chaotic demon that is known to you humans?"

 _'Yanderes...are horrors made manifest in human skin...'_ Issei thought seriously.

If there was ever one thing he was truly terrified of, it was the yandere, a person so obsessed with the person they loved that they would even resort to even going to drastic measures. Stalking, taking out possible love rivals, even to the extent of kidnapping...! If it were a guy, it would be something along the lines of a terrifying stalker that deserved to be put in prison. Issei wasn't really worried about guys like that, but a girl on the other hand... Brr, those girls were terrifying indeed. He pitied any poor bastard unlucky enough to have one stalking him.

And now he had one after him?!

 ** _'You really were too cute... and stupid~'_**

His fists clenched tightly, hearing Yuuma's taunting words echo in his ears. Was that what Yuno had in mind for him? To toy with him, and then shatter him afterwards? Was this all just some sick game to her, just like that damned crow? How could he trust any girl after what happened to him? After all, he got killed on his first date by the girl who supposedly had a crush on him, and now he learns that he has a yandere after him too... who's to say that she wasn't going to kill him too?

As he thought that, her face came back to mind the other day. He recalled how embarrassed and bashful she looked as she handed him an umbrella, running away shortly afterward. Seeing that face made him conflicted. A girl with a face like that... was she seriously a yandere?

"Hey, what are three lounging around for?"

Issei and his friends flinched as they turned to see a teacher standing not too far away from them. He was considerably young, perhaps somewhere in his early twenties, possessing silver hair and cold gray eyes, wearing what looked to be a long white lab coat with a dark gray shirt underneath, along with a pair of black dress pants and leather shoes. He had quite the handsome face, enough to pass for a bishounen, but that face was currently set into a cold, loathing glare, and it was aimed at the three of them. _'Ah, great...'_ Issei mentally cursed himself. _'Of all the teachers to be on duty, it had to be Mr. Sheffield!'_

"A-ah, we were just...!"

"I don't want to hear your excuses." Sheffield snapped coldly, cutting off Mastuda completely. "Get to class. NOW."

"Y-yes sir!" The three teens yelped before rushing to class.

As they did, Issei was the last person to rush past Sheffield. As he did, he failed to notice the dark smirk that began to form over his face. Just as he was out of earshot, Issei heard him.

"...enjoy your new life, for whatever it's worth, you pathetic human."

* * *

 **"...MorE...mOrE...MOrE...MoRE...!"**

From within the darkness, it writhed and roared and growled and snarled. All around it were corpses, bloodied, torn, and mangled. Flesh was torn open, muscles were ripped apart, guts were left dangling, blood was splattered everywhere.

The stench of rotting flesh, decay, and fermenting blood saturated the air. Yet to the being, it was a delectable, appetizing fragrance.

It had only been released a mere few hours ago by a pathetic human, but it was enjoyed the food presented to it, the summoner included. Even from here, it could smell all sorts of food around here. It was like an all-you-can-eat buffet! As it reared it's head back, gulping down the last of it's chunk of meat, burning red eyes glowed brightly, piercing through the darkness. It's nostrils flared, catching a new scent. It's eyes widened, inhaling the air deeply.

 **"ThIS sCeNT..."** the hellish entity growled. **"THiS aROma...!"**

The more he inhaled the smell, the more ravenous his appetite grew. The appetizers he just had we're not nearly enough to sate his hunger. There wasa buffet line down below...and he was going to have his fill.

And it smelled a divine feast.

* * *

As class droned on, Issei stared out the window with disinterest, propping his head on his hand. A troubled expression was clear on his face, unsettled by the events that had transpired in only a few hours. _'What did Mr. Sheffield mean by that...?'_ he wondered, disturbed. _'And why call me human? Is he some kind of supernatural monster too?'_

"It may be possible..." Dagda answered as he leaned against the wall. "From what I sensed, that man was anything but human. But as to what he is specifically, I do not know yet..."

Issei nearly jumped, eyes snapping to the Irish God. ' _Wait, you can actually hear my thoughts?!_ ' he screamed, careful as to not raise his voice. Last thing he needed was for someone to shout out like an idiot. _'Dude, a bit of warning next time!'_

"Ah, my apologies..." the demon said blandly, causing the brunette's eyebrow to twitch. He was seriously thinking about throttling this guy. "At any rate, he has not the only being here."

Issei's eyes widened at this. _'Wait, seriously?'_

Dagda nodded. "Earlier, I felt the presences of a few Devils. I found two of them looking at us when we entered the building. One of them had crimson red hair, so she's likely from the Pillar of Gremory."

The name immediately clicked with him. Gremory... that was the name of one of the Three Great Ladies of Kuoh, Rias Gremory. _'So, wait...'_ he thought in absolute shock. _'You mean to tell me, that one of my senpai... is a demon?!'_

"Devil." Dagda corrected. "There is a fine difference between the two."

 _'How?!'_

"A Demon is a being of a greater stature than Devils. Even the weakest of demons can outmatch the average Devil. Their gap in power and ferocity is quite wide."

Issei's face paled. _'...out of curiosity, in terms of matching a demon to a devil, where does the strongest Devil rank at?'_

Dagda's answer downright terrified him.

"Even the current Great Devil King, Sirzechs Lucifer, can barely hold a candle to the highest tier."

Issei found himself reeling. Even the freaking king of hell wasn't even strong enough to fight the big bad demons?! Just how strong were these guys?!

"Hyoudou-kun, are you listening?!" The boy yelped when a flying piece of chalk struck him in the back of the head, having been engrossed with his conversation with Dagda. "Pay attention! Finals are coming up in a few weeks, I hope you remember!"

"H-Hai, sensei..." Issei replied as he rubbed his head.

The teacher nodded as he went back to the board. A vast majority of his classmates snickered at him getting reprimanded. The only ones who didn't were his two best friends and Yuno.

The pink-haired girl frowned in concern for him, noticing the troubled expression on his face he had on his face since he entered class. _'I wonder what has him so down...?'_

Yuno took note of his perplexed state the moment she saw him. It was a stark contrast from his goofy, care-free persona from before.

In all the time she's observed him form afar, never once has she seen him like this. It was as if there was something plaguing his mind, like a forboding thought that refused to leave him be. She also noticed the way he kept glancing at the wall behind him. Why was he looking at that spot? It was almost as if he were trying to speak to someone without anyone noticing. It was odd, but in the end, she figured it wouldn't be her place to pry. For now, she would simply continue to watch him.

Of course, she already knew his routine by this point from a year's worth of observing him since she learned that they would be attending the same academy. During break periods, he would hang around in the courtyard, which was adjacent to the track area where the girls would practice during PE, and during lunch, whenever the opportunity was present, he would peep on the girls from either the Swim Team or the Kendo club. Recalling this fact made her pout. How could those girls attract his attention, but not her? Would he notice her if she grew bigger breasts? She couldn't really understand the appeal behind having a larger chest.

After all, the back pain must be murder.

Even so, many males still prefer women with a larger bust size. Take the famous duo their school had to offer. Rias Gremory and Akeno Himejima, the two girls in the academy with the largest breast size. Akeno's being the largest with over 100 centimeters!

In all honesty, it made Yuno envious. She glanced down at her own chest, and frowned. _'If it will make Issei-kun notice me,'_ she thought to herself in conviction. _'It'll be worth it.'_

* * *

"...looks like it was just as intel confirmed." Hei said, holding a dark blue cell to his ear as he walked away from the crime scene, having thanked the detective about the details. "An E-Level summoning was performed here."

"Well, this is a conundrum." the voice on the other end said. In spite of the grave situation, he sounded jovial, almost cheery and aloof. "According to the reports, it's the Beast, Chimera. Its' arguably one of the more stronger E-Level summons out there. Then again, Kuoh's magnetite levels are unusually high, so maybe that's why." A chuckle escaped the speaker. "We should be glad it's just E-Level, and not a D, otherwise we'd have more than a few dead kids. Still, you didn't have to take on this mission by yourself, Kamu-chan. Mai was more than willing to take on this task."

"I'm fully aware of that, Fujiwara-san." Hei nodded. "But, there's something... odd, about all of this. Why was the Demon Summoning Application sent all the way out here?"

"Who knows? The Ring of Gaea hasn't been active in that particular region, so we can probably rule them out." Fujiwara replied. "Although, what is cause for concern was that large energy fluctuation from yesterday. We weren't able to pinpoint the exact location or magnitude, but it was probably a demon... but it sure ain't no small-fry."

"I agree..." Hei nodded. The readings that he had studied not too long ago read that a summoning had taken place just yesterday. And based on the levels, it would most likely be one of the higher ranked demons. Maybe a B, A, or even an S rank.

"Anyway, try to be careful, okay, Kamu-chan?" the jovial man asked. "We've got no idea what kind of demon we're dealing with. Also, don't forget, your in the territory of both the Pillars of Gremory and Sitri. One wrong move, and, well..."

The young man chuckled. "I'm fully aware of what will happen, Fujiwara-san." he said. "At any rate, I will take your advice to heart. Please update me on any new details."

"Sure thing, kid."

And with that, the call was ended. Hei pulled the phone away from his ear and stuffed it in his pocket. "...The Chimera is of no issue...that other summoning though..."

It troubled him. Kuoh's magnetite levels have always been unusually high, but the best summoning you could get from it were upper C-Level at best. Given the level of power that was released yesterday, it was clear that it was higher than a C-Level. His guess was that it was likely somewhere between B to S-Level, though he was hoping that it was a lower B-Level Demon. Anything higher than that, and the city would be heavily damaged, and many lives would be lost. He could not afford that.

He sighed slightly. "How troublesome."

* * *

"So that was a class..." Dagda mused. "How interesting, if a bit boorish."

Issei ignored the demon as he walked with Motohama and Matsuda out of the classroom. "Dude, what was up with you today?" the bald lolicon asked out of concern. "You don't usually space out that bad. Is this Yuuma thing really that bad?"

"Yeah," Motohama nodded in agreement, also worried about his friend. "Seriously, Issei. What's wrong?"

He sighed. "I keep telling you guys, it's nothing." Issei rebuked their concerns. "I'm just dealing with some stuff is all..." He growled slightly as he rubbed the back of his head. "And Tokoda's still got a helluva throwing arm as usual."

"Well ain't that the truth. I swear, I thought I saw half of that chalk crumble to dust on impact!" Matsuda stated.

"I hear he used to be another school's star pitcher." Motohama informed them. "Naturally, he's gotta have a knack for throwing stuff. Still, chalk is a much better option than getting hit with something else, like a pen or pencil, or hell, even a stapler."

"Amen to that."

As the three chatted away, heading to their usual hangout spot, Dadga followed behind them, staying close to his god slayer, all the while fully aware of the stares he was receiving from the two girls that were watching him intently from the second floor. One had long crimson hair and sapphire blue eyes, her uniform hugging her assets dangerously, while the other had long, raven black hair that was tied back with a green and black ribbon, her eyes colored a shimmering color of violet. The red-haired woman, Rias Gremory, was frowning in clear displeasure while Akeno had an amused smile on her face, stifling a giggle. "Well, it's certainly a bold one." the woman remarked. "Revealing it's presence to us like that... Still, quite an odd form for a Stray Devil."

"I hardly doubt it's a Stray." Rias disagreed, tapping her fingers against her arm. "Of course, that begs to question of what it is. Moreover, why is it openly revealing itself to us, and in our territory no less?" She released a grunt of confusion. "Either it's very bold, or very stupid."

"Either way, it seems to be attached to our dear kouhai." Akeno observed, gazing at the brunette in question. "That's Issei Hyoudou-kun, right?"

Rias nodded. "A member of the infamous Perverted Trio." she said. "He was killed by that Fallen Angel from yesterday. I had intended on reviving him, since he had the leaflet, but that thing beat us to it." She narrowed her eyes. "Akeno... Is that boy still human?"

"From what I can tell, mostly." her friend replied. "Though, there's a bit of something else in him as well. What, though, I have no idea. I can tell you it's unlike anything I've ever felt."

"I see..." Rias nodded thoughtfully. She knew for sure that he did not give off the presence of a Devil, Angel, or even a Fallen Angel. It was just something...foreign...

She racked through her brains to figure out what. It seemed vaguely familiar...yet unreachable.

Finally, she sighed in defeat. "Perhaps Sona might know something about it." Visiting her friend on the matter would be her best bet. Her best friend was quite knowledgeable in a variety of fields. Maybe she could pinpoint what this sensation was.

As the two turned away, Dadga chuckled, earning a raised eyebrow from Issei. _'Sounds like things are beginning to become interesting...'_

* * *

Heaven had certainly seen better days. Even after so many years had passed since the Great War, it was still horribly damaged, some even believing it to be beyond repair. Within the years, little progress had been made to restore it, despite what the Archangel, Michael, had been doing to restore Heaven's former prosperity. Still, even if it was a little progress, it had been better than nothing. He was just glad his Father was not here to see this. If he were, it would have been a heart-rending sight.

"...are you certain of this, sister?"

"I'm afraid I have little choice in the matter, Michael. This is something that requires my attention."

Currently, the Archangel alongside his companion stood just outside the gates to the human world. Michael was easily described as one of the most handsome angels, possibly even more so than his brother, Raphael. His golden hair hung down at his shoulders, dressed in golden armor with a white cloak that enshrouded his body, whilst his face bore something akin to sadness, such as droopy eyes and a forlorn smile. His companion, however, was a mature, if not cold beauty with pale, alabaster skin and dark hair, possessing a pair of frigid, gray eyes. She wore a black turtleneck underneath a stylish white jacket, complimenting it with violet dress pants and black pump heels. Her arms were folded over her chest, face serious while Michael looked unsure.

"I understand that there is something going on in the human world..." Michael shook his head, not fully agreeing with his friend. "But, is it truly so serious that you must see what is happening?"

"It is, Michael." the woman replied coldly. "If what's happening down below is what I think it is, then it is a matter that I cannot ignore."

"And... how long will you be gone?"

The woman paused. "Of that... I am unsure." she answered, closing her eyes. "But, regardless, I expect you to be fulfilling your duties. After all, Father named you his successor long before his passing. Even Metatron agreed."

Michael laughed sadly. "I'm fully aware of that, but I still believe you are much better fit than I, Merkabah." he told her. "After all, you are His Chariot, she who leads Him ever forward into an uncertain future, braving whatever danger may come in your charge across the world." **(1)**

"You are giving me too much credit, my friend." Merkabah waved her hand. "The reason why Father and Metatron deemed you as our leader is because they have full faith that you are capable. Don't sell yourself short."

"Maybe, but even still, I feel that you would be much better suited to the position than I could ever hope to be." he said with a sheepish smile. "Although, I suppose I can't argue with you, can I..." He eventually nodded. "Alright. Please, be safe, sister."

Merkabah smiled. "I will. Take care, brother, and my father's spirit guide you."

With that, the two departed. However, once Merkabah knew for certain that Michael had been out of earshot, her face became cold, and her eyes became deadly sharp.

"So...A new God Slayer has emerged..." Her voice lacked any warmth from before. It was now frigid, emotionless, and sharp. "And what's more...it's in the territory of that pesky Devil King's sister...Disgusting beings..."

Merkabah truly detested Devils. Since coming into existence, she held only hatred for those that did not align, or rebuke her father. The primary targets of her hate were her fallen kin, those who had become tainted by sin and those that God had deemed forbidden, and the Devils themselves.

Of course, there was one other thing she truly hated, above all else...

And that was the Demons.

They were abominations. A crime. A mistake. A sin for even EXISTING! They were wretched creatures that do not deserve to exist!

Her teeth gnashed harshly together. For a moment, her human figure shimmered, revealing a more chaotic, demented appearance beneath the veil. Eventually, however, she reigned in her emotions. She was aware that demons had started to become more active with the passing of the years, but now she was beginning to grow angry. Even worse, one of the more dangerous ones, a Demon God, had found himself a pawn...

A God Slayer.

She pitied the boy...for he was originally one of her Father's creations. A being with so much potential for the world...now having his freedom ripped away and enslaved to a Demon to kill Gods!

Even still... simply because she pitied the boy did not mean that she would show him mercy of any sort. He was now one who partook in deicide, one who slaughtered the gods of old... And no doubt, he would slay even her god, if presented with the opportunity.

She could not allow that. Under any circumstances, she would not allow anyone, especially a mere human, to commit such atrocious acts. In truth, despite God having created humans, nurturing them to where they themselves had begun to build empires and legacies that left many of her kin inspired with awe and intrigue, she felt only disgust with them. Ever since their attempts to become closer to God, their tongues had been sundered, and now worshiped other deities. It was disgusting, vile, and most of all, insulting.

How could they forget so easily? Were it not for God, they would not exist. Were it not for God, they would not be able to build cities, countries, kingdoms, and empires. Were it not for God, they would not have been able to come into their own. Were it not for God, they would not have the knowledge they now possess. Humanity had grown beyond it's borders. It had become arrogant.

She must remind them of their proper station... She will remind them of just who it is that they should worship. She would make them remember just WHO it was that granted them the right to even so much as breathe!

And if any of them refused to return to the light... she would erase them. Such filth had no place here in this world.

Especially not those who partook in deicide.

"Issei Hyoudou..." Merkabah muttered the name of the boy who had been relinquished of his humanity. "It's a shame what has happened to you... but regardless, you have become a threat, an abomination, an error." For a brief moment, her eyes burned bright red. "And I shall correct you."

* * *

Elsewhere, in the human world, just on the outskirts of Kuoh, a young man watched the ocean push back and forth at the docks, staring out into the horizon while the cries of seagulls filled the air, and the pungent smell of salt tainted the air. If a woman were to see him, she would describe him as... perfect. His face was handsome, his skin clear, and his ethnicity of that of exotic beauty. His hair was blonde, cropped neatly beneath a black cap while dressed in a fine black suit with a tie wrapped neatly around his neck, the collar of his dress shirt turned over with a formal jacket over it, along with dress pants and leather shoes. His hands remained in his pockets, while his soft, gray eyes looked out into the azure sky, watching as the white birds flew overhead. A wry, mischievous smile found it's way to his face.

"...master," a raspy voice spoke behind him. "It is almost time."

"I know..." The young man responded with a smooth, baritone voice. "Just thinking about it is getting me excited."

He turned around to see a ruggish man with dark, messy black hair and dark eyes, deep rings underneath his eyes suggesting sleep depravity, as well as deathly pale skin. He wore a black leather jacket over a light blue v-neck, while a tiger-striped ascot hung around his neck. He also wore a pair of denim jeans with black leather combat boots bearing silver trips, as well as a studded belt with a belt buckle resembling a skull with a pair of crossbones.

The blonde man was grinning widely. Ever since Dagda's emergence yesterday, he had been so excited. Finally, after so many years, a new facet of potential had made itself known to the world, born only yesterday. It had been so long since the birth of a God Slayer, but this one... Issei Hyoudou... he was by far the most interesting, and for good reason. He was the first to bear the artifacts his so-called Father had so foolishly left behind, as part of a legacy of hypocrisy. While many in this world, be it within the realm of man or within the realm of the supernatural, Issei Hyoudou was the first God Slayer to inherit one.

And it was truly worth of his status. The mere thought of seeing that boy awaken to his full potential was making him giddy. He wondered when was the last time he felt like this.

"Today is but a mere prelude..." he chuckled as he slowly walked away from the docks, his companion following close behind him. "An introduction of what is to come. In other words, the opening act."

"So..." his companion smirked with glee. "It's almost time to begin."

The young man nodded, tipping his cap. "Yes... Soon, the world will be set aflame, in a war the likes of which has never seen before.""

As his grin grew, so too had his shadow, revealing a pair of six wings resembling those of a bat. "At long last..." the man whispered with excitement. For a moment, his eyes shifted into blue and red. "The Second Great War... is about to begin." **(2)**

* * *

It had been near the end of the day when Issei felt something off. The final class had finally ended, signaled by the tolling of the bell, but even as he left the class, he felt an uneasy apprehension. _'What the heck is this...?'_ he wondered as he slipped out of the room, and out into the third floor hallway of the Practice Building. _'Why do I feel so... anxious? What's this feeling I'm getting?'_

Dagda recognized what Issei was feeling. He was quite impressed. The young boy was already beginning to sense the presences of other beings... quite impressive, given that he's only been a God Slayer for little more than a day.

However, there was still much he needed to learn in such a short amount of time. The hallowed time is almost upon them.

"Ah, Hyoudou-kun." a jovial voice said behind them. Issei turned to see his math teacher, Ms. Mimi, walking up to him with a calm smile. She always looked so serene, and she was probably one of the few females who treated him kindly, despite being aware of his eccentric behavior. "Have you seen Mr. Mokome?"

Issei raised an eyebrow. Yukibe Mokome was the PE teacher here, and suffice to say, Issei was not fond of him. He was one of the perverts who trudged the name of hentai down into the dirt. It was clear that he was a dirty old man, having been caught by a few people ogling the girls in their uniforms, and there was even a claim that he had even been found out having nearly sexually assaulted one in the locker room. Whether or not this was true was unknown, but needless to say, Issei didn't really like him. He was sure the other girls didn't like him either.

"No." he answered, shaking his head. "Why?"

"There's a faculty meeting regarding the funding for the school's equipment," Ms. Mimi told him. "Specifically towards our training equipment. Since Mr. Mokome is in charge of the Track Team, he's required to be there."

"I see. Well, if I do see him, I'll let you know." He answered. _'Unlikely though. As I really don't want to talk with that bastard. He could go to hell for all I care...'_

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind had a bone-chilling scream echoed loudly into the air.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!"

"Wh-what was that?!" Ms. Mimi exclaimed in shock.

"I-I don't know! Is someone in danger or something?!

"It sounded like Mr. Mokome!"

"Issei," Dagda said immediately. "There is a demon inside the school."

"Wait, there's a what?!" Issei exclaimed in shock, eyes wide in horror, ignoring the fact that Ms. Mimi was present. There was a demon here?! Why now?! Why here of all places?! "W-why?!"

"If I were to guess, it's attracted by the sheer number of people here." the Irish God answered. "Not only that, but it's also probably here because of you. Now that you've become a god-killer, your presence will attract numerous demons to you for various reasons. This one is here because it wants your power for itself."

"W-wait so...It...it's because I'M here?! What the hell does it want with me?!"

"Like I said, your presence will attract demons for various reasons."

"H-Hyoudou-kun?" Ms. Mimi stammered, clearly confused and befuddled by her student's behavior. Who in the world was he talking to? Moreover, what in the world was that scream?!

"If you do not hurry, that demon will begin to attack any human it finds before it manages to find you." Dagda told him before his "mouth" curled into a smile. "Actually... this will serve as a great test of your abilities."

"Wait, what the hell does that-"

"Enough talk! Follow me!" Without even waiting for a reply, Dagda grabbed the poor by the collar of his jacket, and pulled him away, speeding up the stairway, garnering a look of great shock and confusion for Ms. Mimi, who watched as the boy was pulled away by some unseen force.

"Wh-wh-wh-wh-what's going on?!" The female teacher asked in a beyond perplexed state.

* * *

"Wait, stop! Where the hell are you taking me?!" Issei demanded of the Irish God.

"Where do you think?!" Dagda shouted over his shoulder. "To battle, of course!"

"Wait, WHAT?!" Issei cried, his eyes bulging from his sockets. "YOU WANT ME TO FIGHT A DEMON?! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND, DAGDA?!"

"No. I am perfectly sane. This is a perfect chance for you to test your powers as a new God Slayer."

"AND I KEEP TELLING YOU, TO HELL WITH THAT YOU STUPID IRISH GOD!" the brunette screamed, swinging his arms futily. "LET GO OF ME! LET GO!"

"If you insist," Dagda shrugged as he threw Issei. The boy cried out as he was sent flying through the air, and crashing straight through the door leading to the rooftop. The door was flung off of it's hinges as he was sent tumbling to the ground, rolling about like a ragdoll before slowly coming to a stop on his back, his legs and rear propped into the air with his back and arms on the ground.

"...Ow..." he whimpered as his body fully lowered back to the ground, his back aching somewhat from the impact. He felt a great deal of irritation that had been pent up all day slowly starting to come to a boil. When he told the damned god to let him go, he didn't mean throw him! "Seriously, Dagda!" he growled as he sat up, green eyes set into a glare. "I'm gonna-!"

His words died in his throat. The color drained from his face, his green eyes widened in sheer horror, and his mouth hung open, staring back at what was in front of him in sheer horror. In front of him was... a monster. Yes, that was the best he could describe it as. It was grotesque and disgusting, possessing a body similar to a lion, but sporting an extra head, that of a goat, and it's tail was replaced by that of a snake, with the head found at the other end. It's back was currently facing him, and judging by the bloody splatters all over the ground, it was clear what it was doing.

Issei's horror grew when he found out who the unfortunate victim was. Prostrated right before the demon, with his stomach torn open, entrails sticking out, was Mokome, his face etched into horror, with eyes glazed over.

He had mixed feelings about this. A part of him feels relieved for seeing the sleazy pedophile dead and out of everyone's hair. On the other hand, said sleazy pedophile was laying in front of him with his entrails ripped out and his body cold and lifeless.

"W-w-w-w-what... the fuck...?!" Issei gaped, stumbling back as he scrambled to his feet. This action alerted the Chimera, as it ceased it's feasting, and slowly craned it's head, turning to see Issei. "W-what the fuck are you?!"

The demon turned to face him, a deep growl eminating from it's throat as it slowly began to trod forward. **"YoU..."** it breathed, it's voice garbled and slurred. **"ReEK... Me SmELl... GOd...!"** A long tongue emerged from it's maw, licking it's maw. **"ME... DEVOUR!"**

The next second, it lunged for him.

"Guagh!" Issei screamed in terror as he turned tail and ran like hell.

The Chimera landed right where he was, and then began to chase after him, snarling and growling behind him. Issei pumped all of his strength into running, his legs swinging back and forth while keeping his eyes straight ahead. "No way!" he screamed as tears flowed from the corners of his eyes, not daring to look back. "No way! No way! No way! No way! No way! No way! NO WAY!"

This wasn't happening... This wasn't happening! This had to be a bad dream! It had to be! Yeah, it had to be! Any second now, he'd wake up for his date with Yuuma-chan! That sweet, innocent girl who confessed to him! This was all a bad dream! A bad dream that he'd wake up any minute from!

There was no way... No way this was real! It couldn't be!

The snarls of the chimera gaining on him were saying otherwise.

This was reality.

 **"AGi!"**

An explosion of flames erupted behind him, a searing flame stretching into his backside. He screamed in pain as he was sent off his feet, and sent flying through the air. He tumbled like a ragdoll after landing back to the concrete ground below him before coming to a stop. Groaning, he lifted himself off the ground, hissing in pain when he felt the burns on his back flare in agony. "Shit...!" he cursed before looking up, seeing a giant scorch mark right where he was earlier. His eyes widened. That blast... hit him dead on in the back.

But... he was alive? He wasn't sure who looked more surprised, him or the Chimera. **_"Your body is more than human now, boyo,"_** Dagda's voice echoed in his head, as if lecturing him. The Irish God was nowhere to be seen, but Issei could still feel his presence somewhere. **_"As it stands now, you can fight against demons with this body... But you lack the means to defense yourself."_**

"Well, no shit!" he shouted. "I never asked for this! I didn't ask for you to bring me back! Why did you anyway?! Why me of all people?!"

Dagda didn't answer.

Issei bit his lip, his body shaking. "Dammit... dammit all..." he growled. "Ever since I met you, my whole life has been nothing but hell..."

 ** _"...do you fear dying?"_**

"Of course I do!" he shouted. The Chimera growled as it began to slowly stalk toward him, like a hunter circling it's pray. "Who isn't scared of dying?! I have so much that I want to do...! I want to fulfill my dream... I want to spend time with my friends... I... I want to...!"

It wasn't fair. He knew he was a pervert, and he knew the things he did weren't exactly good things, but what had he done to deserve this? Why? Why him? Why not someone else? It was unfair... totally unfair. Why... why did this have to happen? Where had it gone wrong? His life was so peaceful up until that date with Yuuma-chan... Maybe he should have just died there. Maybe he should have just refused to come back to life if this was what his life was going to become...

Maybe he should just let this demon-

 ** _"If you are terrified, then cast aside your fear, my God Slayer."_**

Issei's eyes widened. "...huh?"

 **[Play Bleach OST: "Number One"]**

 ** _"You say the world is unkind to you? That karma has turned against you?_** " Dagda said. ** _"That is hypocrisy, boyo. The world has always been unfair. No one is to blame for another's faults, it is because they are but mere pawns. And do you know why? It is because of the gods. They have shepherd the humans into their faith, made them blind followers, and in their pursuits to please their masters, they tear asunder the peaceful lives of others, and the victims too become enslaved to the gods' mechanizations. That is why I brought you back, and made you a god-killer, Issei. Because I will not allow you to be a mere pawn of the gods, especially not of the Christian faith."_**

"B-but..."

 ** _"Cast aside your fear, and look forward. Pull back, and you will age. Hesitate, and you will die."_**

"But...!"

 ** _"Will you allow yourself to be naught but a gear in the gods' mechanizations? Or will you find the resolve to break free and raze them all to the ground?!" The Irish God bellowed._**

"I...!"

 ** _"Turning back will do you no good. There is no other option...but to Keep Moving Forward!"_**

Issei gritted his teeth. Dammit all... This was so unfair! Why the hell was this happening to him? Was... was Dagda right? Was all of this... because of the gods? If... if that was true...

...then screw them. If they said he was going to die, again, then to hell with them! To hell with all of them! He wasn't about to die here! Not again!

"I died once... and I sure as hell ain't gonna bite the bullet twice!" he glared at the demon. "Fine, you want a piece of me, ya ugly mutt? Bring it on!"

The Chimera roared in outrage while Dagda laughed. **_"That is the spirit, boyo... Now, let's level playing field."_** The marks on Issei's hand began to glow wildly. Slowly, something began to coil around his wrist, red metal forming around it. It resembled some sort of large vambrace with a green jewel embedded into the center. Issei stared at it in bewilderment. What... was this? **_"This is a Sacred Gear, one of the Christian God's legacies."_** Dagda told him. **_"Now, let us begin!"_**

"W-w-wait! How the hell am I supposed to use this thing?!" Issei cried out.

As if in response, the green jewel on the gauntlet glowed.

 **[BOOST!]**

"What?!" Issei felt a surge of power well up from within.

Before he even had time to fully register the surging strength in his body, the chimera charged at him, ready to tear him apart.

"Gah! Get away from me!" Issei covered his face with one arm as he flailed the other about violently.

When the Chimera got close enough, the arm smacked it away and into a wall.

Issei's eyes widened, looking at the Chimera, which looked slightly dazed, and then down at his hand. "...whoa."

 **"Never underestimate the power of a Sacred Gear."** Dagda told him. **"Here it comes again!"**

Issei immediately tensed as the Chimera stood back up, shaking it's head before glaring at the god-killer, growling and snarling as it opened it's maw. Immediately, a blast of flames erupted from it's mouth, and shot toward him. Issei jumped away, avoiding being burned as the flames explosed at the ground. ' _Whoa,_ ' he thought in awe as he slid away after landing on the ground. _'Since when could I leap away like that?'_ He didn't think much of it as the demon charged at him again. It's maw came at him, trying to bite at him, but he moved away, and kicked it's second head. It staggered back, but growled and swiveled about, lashing it's tail at him. The snake nearly hit him, but he managed to duck underneath it, and charged right at him again, rearing his arm back.

The strike hit it underneath it's jaw, knocking it upward before he jumped away. The Chimera roared in outrage, and launched another blast of flames, Agi he thinks it was called. He brought up his arms, and braced for impact.

The plume of fire struck his arms, the force of the attack forcing him back.

Unlike before, he wasn't sent flying and rolling about the ground. This time, the bast sent him sliding on his feet, his clothes being burned apart. The sleeves were blown apart, and the front portion of his attire became singed. His arms were scathed in burns, steam flowing off of him while Issei gritted his teeth. _'Damn, that burns...!'_ he screamed. _'But, compared to Yuuma-chan's spear... This isn't even remotely close!_ '

Sometimes, heartache hurt worse than the worst of wounds. In his case, it hurt far worse than whatever pain this damned mutt was going to bring him. He looked up from his arms, smirking almost tauntingly at his enemy. "...that all you got?"

" **ArROgaNt HuMAn!"** the Chimera roared. **"I ShALL TeAr YoU lImB fRoM lIMb!"**

Issei's reponse was to wag his finger at him, the universal insult known simply as, "Come on."

 **"WItH PlEAsuRE!"** The Beast howled as it pounced once more. Its fangs were bared as its claws tore up the ground in its advance.

Issei held the line as the beast drew near.

It leaped into the air, intending on pouncing on him. Issei stood his ground as he reared his arm back, intending on landing a solid hit. As soon as it was within range, he threw a left hook, striking it right in the face. However, at that same time, the Chimera brought down it's paw, slashing his shoulder in the process. Four diagonal cuts seared into his skin, blood forming from the wound, and pain flaring in his shoulder. "Khr!" Issei growled, wincing in pain as he threw the Chimera back with a right punch. As the creature tumbled back, he gripped his shoulder in pain, feeling harsh pain stretching down his arm. "Cheap shot!"

The Chimera regained it's footing, and opened it's mouth again. Issei threw himself to the side, avoiding the blast. The Chimera fired off another one, which he dodged again, this time jumping back. Again, another Agi was launched at him, but this time, Issei was left unable to dodge. The blast struck him, burning away his jacket into mere scraps while his red shirt was scorched. His body was sent flying through the air before it crashed back down into the ground. "Ow..." he groaned, feeling pain swelling up in his back before grunting in pain when the Chimera jumped on top of him. It glared down at him, red eyes burning into his green eyes, and hot saliva dripping from it's maw. It opened it's mouth, and flames dancing around it's maw. 'Shit!' Issei's eyes widened. 'A point blank shot?!'

He acted quickly. He poured as much as strength as he could into his limbs, and grabbed the beast by the jaw, pulling it away from his face. In response, the Agi was fired off to the side, scorching the fences into oblivion. As the Chimera struggled, Issei's eyes narrowed, his irises glowing bright green. He slammed his legs into it's stomach, and shoved it off. It was thrown off to it's back, but was quick to regain it's balance. As he stumbled back up, it charged at him again. Issei reacted barely in time, throwing himself to the side, and avoiding it. It charged past him, but came moving around, curving about as it rammed straight for him.

Issei growled, eyes burning in anger. He was sick and tired of this. This was going on long enough. He was going to kill this son of a bitch! He was going to tear it apart! Rip off it's limbs and beat the shit out of it with 'em! He was going to tear off it's jaw and shove down it's throat! **_He was going to tear off it's fucking HEAD!_**

Once the Chimera lunged for him, he jumped over it, angling his body right over it. Now directly above the demon, he grabbed one of the goat head's horns, and pulled himself forward, wrapping his arms around it's neck.

 _"JUST DIE ALREADY!"_ Issei roared. He tightened his arms around the neck. He was so consumed in his fury that he barely felt the crackling of bones and the squelching of muscles beneath his choke hold. With a mighty tug, Issei ripped the goat head off the Chimera's body.

The Chimera roared in pain as it finally managed to throw Issei off of it, screaming and howling as blood gushed from it's stump. However, the brunette was far from done.

Issei took his fingers and jabbed them into the eye sockets of the other head. He dug his nails deeper as he clawed its eyes out.

Unlike last time, he didn't allow himself to be thrown off as the Chimera tried to throw him off. His legs remained around it's body, steadying himself. The Chimera howled and screeched in pain as it threw it's body around wildly. Issei reared himself back, as he ripped the red eyes from the creature's sockets.

The malformed beast howled in absolute agony as it thrashed about. It was now maimed and blinded. But Issei refused to stop there.

He clasped his hands together, and brought them down. The beast was smashed into the ground, cracks forming beneath it from the force of the strike. He then slammed his foot on it's neck, and then planted his hands on it's jaws. "JUST FUCKING DIE ALREADY YOU MOTHERFUCKER!" he roared, eyes lit ablaze with bloodlust as he pried the mouth open, bending the jaws apart before a sickening crack echoed into the air, and blood splattered across his body.

The Chimera's lower jaw was ripped off, but Issei didn't stop there. He refused to. he wanted this beast to know what pain truly felt like. Even recognizing that it was likely close to being dead, he clenched his left hand into a fist, and began to pummel it. The first punch smashed a few of the bones in it's body, the second let out another sickening crack, the third caused flesh to be blown apart, the fourth left behind torn pieces of flesh, the fifth left more blood to splatter across his face.

Even when half of it's face was reduced to bloody paste, Issei didn't stop. He continued to punch away at it, overtaken by his own bloodlust.

The squelching of flesh and crackling of bone resounded through the area in a horrific symphony. The Chimera was long dead, but Issei continued to desecrate its carcass in a cruel manner. He didn't care that he was covered in blood. He didn't care if his knuckles were in pain from now punching the ground. He didn't care about anything except for the beast's annihilation.

The final strike reduced what little remained of it's head to nothing but bits of bloody mesh. Issei panted, his breathing ragged, sweat dripping down his face. He had truly looked as if he had been through hell. Blood was splattered all over him, his clothes singed and burnt, burns found across his arms with soot at his face. There were a few bloody splatters across his face.

"Haa, haa..." he gasped as he slowly pulled his hand away. It was completely soaked in blood, and the green gem on the vambrace was sullied with red liquid. The high adrenaline from the battle was now beginning to die out. When his senses fully returned, he stared down at the corpse, which had strangely begun to dissipate into black wisps, and then to his hand. The red vambrace slowly broke apart, fading into green particles. "...w-what..." he murmured in a slight daze, not fully registering what had just happened. "The heck... was that..."

 ** _"That...was a sign of yourself falling to bloodlust."_** Dagda answered.

Issei simply gave his hand a blank stare. Slowly, that daze began to lessen. When his actions finally registered in his brain, he felt a disgusting feeling crawling up his throat. His stomach churned uncomfortably, as if having drunk something vile and disgusting, and felt bile rising up. A putrid, disgusting smell crawled into his nostrils, making his current feeling of nausea increase tenfold. He clasped a hand over his mouth, trying to force the disgusting feeling down, but it was fruitless. He fell to his knees, and green vomit flowed out from his mouth.

The vile, acidic smell now lingered the area, mixing with the foul stench of rotting flesh and blood.

But Issei didn't care. The only thing he had on his mind was puking his guts out.

As the bile fled from his mouth, leaving behind a disgusting, foul aftertaste, Issei's thoughts were a chaotic haze. How? How could he have done this? T-there was no way he did this... No way. He couldn't have ripped off it's head or ripped out it's eyes or torn off it's jaw. Where had this blood come from? Was it his own? What did he do? What did he do?

What the fuck did he do?!

He stared at his own hands in horror. They were dyed crimson red with blood and still had bits of flesh clinging to them. The mere sight of it nearly made Issei retch again.

Why...Why did this have to happen?!

How the hell did he even do this?!

 _ **"I must admit, I am quite impressed."**_ Dagda praised him. Issei's teeth clenched, his body shaking. How the hell could he be impressed by this?! He had just torn this monster apart like a damned ragdoll! **_"Even a Brute would applaud this level of carnage. Then again, I would expect no less from you,_ Sekiryuutei _."_**

That caused him to pause. Sekiryuutei... Red Dragon Emperor? What the heck was that...

The smell of burning ash registered in his mind. Issei looked up, and noticed what appeared to be black smoke piling into the air, and faint orange embers rising up, blowing all around into the gusts of wind. "What...?" he muttered as he stood on shaky legs. He slowly made his way over to the edge.

What he found nearly made his heart stop. Slowly, his eyes widened to the point where they would pop out, and his mouth became unhinged. He stayed there, motionless, as his hand coiled around the gate between him and the ledge. He could only stare out into the distance in utter horror, unable to comprehend the sight in front of him. Perhaps, at that moment, he realized that his life could no longer be average. Dagda's words proved to be true, for after today, nothing would ever be normal. The moment Yuuma Amano slammed that spear into his chest, his fate had been all but sealed. This was his reality, and there was no escaping it.

"What's... happened to Kuoh...?"

 _Right before his eyes, Issei Hyoudou watched as the city of Kuoh became engulfed in a sea of flames._

End of LIFE 2

* * *

 **Merkabah:** To avoid confusion, this incarnation of Merkabah is NOT from the world of DxD. This is the SMT Merkabah, so naturally, she is reprising her role as one of the story's main antagonists. Also, do not think for even a second that just because God of the Bible is dead does not mean he will not be present. In my earlier statements from the first chapter, I said that I wanted to redeem myself for the mess that was Forgotten Humanity and a few chapters from Shatter Destiny. In other words, even if he is dead, God is still going to play a major role, which will become clear in future chapters.

 **The Second Great War** : This is going to be a major conflict that I think everyone pretty much saw coming, since we're crossing over Shin Megami Tensei and High School DxD. And unlike the previous war, it won't be a three-way. This war is going to be solely between the Demons, and another group that is related to Heaven. This conflict will be fully realized in the future chapters.

 **Power Leveling:** This was a question that a few people have been asking me about. Allow me to put it you this way... Demons are ranked in tiers: Low, Mid, High, Ultimate, and Super. The only beings that can qualify against SMT Super-tier beings are Ophis at max power, Great Red, Trihexa, and Shiva. For future references, beings such as YHVH, Satan, Demiurge, Lucifer and Merkabah are in a league of their own. Just one of them can curbstomp the four strongest beings of the DxD World, excluding the Super Devils, in a matter of seconds.

 **Demons:** I'm following the same premise as I did for Highschool DxD: Shatter Destiny. When a living entity dies, they return to the Expanse, and are later remade into demons. If a being's will is strong enough, they are capable of retaining a sense of self, and become either High to Super-tier demons. For example, the original Lucifer died and joined the Expanse, but because of his will, he was able to retain his strength and power, and becoming a demon amplified that power by incredible proportions, hence becoming the SMT Lucifer we all know and fear. There is also another classification of demons known as Demon Gods, which will serve as a major plot point later on in the story.

 **Mr. Sheffield:** If you are a fan of Digital Devil Saga, then you will immediately know who this character is based off of. He also serves a major role.


	3. Volume 1: Life 03: Aftermath (END)

Disclaimer: This story is a product of fanfiction. Highschool DxD and the Shin Megami Tensei franchise are owned by their respective creators, Funimation and Atlus. Any and all relations to real-life places or people are mere coincidences.

With that in mind... Demons Anarchy of Pride and CodeEmperor07 are proud to present: DxD: FINAL!

* * *

"I can see by the darkness in your soul that you have chosen to disregard my warning... you are beyond the point of redemption." -Metatron, Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne

* * *

 **DxD: FINAL**

 _Volume 1: Birth of a God-Killer_

* * *

 ** _Life 03: Aftermath  
_**

Issei awoke to an unfamiliar ceiling staring back above him. _'W...what...?'_ he thought in confusion. His senses, alongside his body, were aching dully in pain. Slowly, bit by bit, his hearing, which was slurred and ringing, had begun to repair itself. A pregnant silence had encircled him, a rhythmic beeping echoing beside him. He winced in pain as he tried to move his arms in an attempt to move himself upright. He managed to grit his way through it, all the while feeling both the disturbing and slightly relieving sensation of the joints in his back cracking back into place. His head was throbbing, and his sight was shimmering in and out, forcing him to squint in order to get a better look at his surroundings. He felt only a soft fabric covering his lower half, which covered his upper half until he sat upright. He also felt something wrapped tightly around his bicep.

As his vision slowly came back into focus, the room came into sharper focus. It looked like some kind of hospital rooms, painted a clear white with little decoration. He found a bathroom at the other end of the room, as well as a sink right beside the wooden door, which had a round doorknob and a slit-view window. To his left was another bed without an occupant, an empty tray atop a cart left abandoned beside him. To his right was an open window, the glass slid up to allow a refreshing, cool breeze flow into the room, also flapping the curtains beside it into a flowing motion. The silence had made Issei slightly uncomfortable, but what made him even more uncomfortable was the fact that an IV was attached to his arm, as well as a pole that carried a bag of fluid, which was connected to a tube, and said tube was embedded into his arm.

He looked down at his left hand, and visibly frowned.

The marks were still there.

 _'Damn,'_ he thought. _'I thought it was all just a dream.'_

Although somewhat groggy, he was able to recall the events that he could only describe as hell on Earth for him. A date gone wrong, being revived by a supernatural being called a demon, learning that he was brought back as a freaking _god-killer_ , learning that every religion, myth, and lore truly existed, and even worse... the recent events. He recalled the moment vividly, his first encounter with a demon. The beast was savage, having two heads, bearing the body of a lion while having a secondary head in the form of a goat, as well as a snake for a tail. His arm went to his shoulder, where the demon had clawed into him, and looked down at his arms. His hands were wrapped in bandages, and found strips of cloth wrapped tightly around his shoulder as well. He gingerly tapped his hand against his shoulder, and hissed in pain. _'Definitely not a dream,'_ the brunette concluded before he turned to the window. He swung his legs over the bed, ignoring the aching pain in his joints, and pulled himself out of the bed. It was only now he realized that his clothes had changed. His uniform was gone, replaced with a white t-shirt and slacks, both of which were quite loose. _'How did I get into these?'_ he wondered briefly, also noticing his lack of shoes before he felt the cool floor beneath him as his feet touched the ground. He moved to the window, and promptly froze.

"...what in the...?"

Kuoh was gone, replaced by what could only be considered to be a silver cityscape down below. Buildings, big and small, stood proudly, as if forming a puzzle with the several circuits of street lining around them, and all leading out into the crystalline blue waters beyond. That was what caused Issei to feel so confused. Kuoh was nowhere near the ocean, as it lacked even a beach that couldn't be found for another several hundred miles, but there was indeed an ocean stretching out before him. But... how was this possible? How could he be here? And what happened to-?

That was when the memory came back to him. It nearly sent him over the edge, his hands coiled around the window sill, his breathing become hitched, and his voice ragged. ' _W-why... why is my city... my home... Oh god... Oh, god, no!'_ His teeth gnashed together, panic starting to settle in. No... no, that... that couldn't have been real. The appearance of demons was one thing, but... his home being set aflame? It had to be a nightmare...! "This..." he sobbed, forcing himself not to allow any tears to fall from his face. "This... can't be happening...!"

"Ah, your awake."

Issei snapped around, seeing a woman standing in front of him. His instincts flared as he felt himself tense, and his hands twitched, trembling almost. He felt almost himself almost lunge at the visitor, but managed to keep himself in check, restraining his urges to strike back. His visitor was an elegant young woman with long turquoise hair that she wore in braids, and wore a dull green jacket, a bright orange skirt that exposed her underwear, and torn black stockings. Atop her head was a pair of goggles, and a relieved expression on her face. Issei paused, feeling no hostility from her, but maintained his distance from her. "...who're you?" he asked cautiously. "Where am I?"

The woman frowned, folding her arms over her chest. "Well, that's a fine how-do-you-do for the person who saved your life." she remarked, earning a look of bewilderment from Issei. She... saved him? "Still, glad to see your still able to walk up and about." the woman later added, smiling again in relief. "How's your shoulder? That wound must have been a bitch for you."

"Y-yeah..." he nodded hesitantly, looking back out the window. "...Um, where... am I?"

"This is PHAROS," the woman replied. "All capital letters. It's a mobile base, and right now, it's acting as a refugee camp for the survivors."

Survivors... The word made him freeze up. He felt the shaking become worse as the image of Kuoh burning to the ground became all the more vivid. "...what..." he gasped, his throat suddenly hoarse, and his voice choked. "...what happened... to Kuoh...?"

The woman's smile fell as soon as he asked that. Her eyes narrowed, and her mouth was set into a thin line. Regret, sorrow, and sadness passed through her face, along with various other emotions. She glanced down at the ground, unsure of what to actually tell him. A tense silence filled the room, and with each passing second, Issei only became more and more distressed. Why wasn't she saying anything? Had something happened? Where were all of his friends? Why was he here? And what the hell did she mean by mobile base?! Where the hell was this place?!

Finally, she spoke. Her tone was grave, as if speaking at a funeral. In his case... it may as well have been, only later than expected.

"...there is no Kuoh anymore."

* * *

Dagda had to admit, the recent turn of events were rather chaotic. Not even a day since he revived Issei to be his God Slayer, and already, a swift series of events had transpired, and brought the boy's life into a spiral of chaos. He did well in his first battle with the demons, but such an encounter was against mere small fry. There were other more powerful beings, ones that would prove to be a much greater challenge. Nonetheless, he had absolute faith Issei could brave whatever dangers lied in wait for him... provided he kept his mind optimistic. After seeing his hometown being destroyed, and set ablaze... he wondered if he would be able to stand again on his own feet. He had seen many men's spirit brake after events that could only be considered traumatic, but none of them could compare to the overwhelming weight that Issei was forced to endure.

"You know, I never would have imagined that you chose the _Sekiryuutei_ of all people to become your god-killer." a cold voice said behind him. Dagda turned, and saw the human from before when he first entered the school grounds. However, unlike before, Dagda was more than aware of who he was, and regarded him with a nod of acknowledgement. Previously, his presence had been hidden, but now, it was exposed to him, and he could honestly say he was surprised. He had never seen him adopt this form before, but given the circumstances from all those years ago, he supposed he couldn't blame him. The man known to humans as Sheffield slowly walked up to him, standing at his side while observing the human interaction below them, standing atop the tallest building of this contraption known as a mobile base. "I also find it rather hard to believe that you chose now of all times to choose one."

"Since when do you have any right to patronize me, Varna?" the Irish God snapped, looking at his fellow god in annoyance. "You have all of that power at your disposal, and you didn't even lift a finger when Kuoh burned to the ground."

The Heavenly King of the Three Worlds shrugged his shoulders, a cold smile present on his face. "I couldn't care less about what humans do. I'm only interested in what comes afterwards." he said bluntly, his hands in the white lab coat. "If humanity brings about it's own downfall, why should I care? It will simply be there own fault. However, something always comes forward at the end. In a way, it's like a cycle. When something falls, another shall rise." He smirked at the Irish God. "Quite like ourselves, no?"

"And what does that mean?"

"We were once deities ourselves, and like our brothers and sisters, and our fellow gods from other pantheons, we took part in the war. We died, but in the end, we were brought back as Demons. No, more than that, we became gods amongst demons." Varna explained. "We too represent the cycle... so naturally, with the end of Kuoh, something new will happen."

Dagda's eyes flared brightly as he glared at Varna. "Speak sense, Varna, lest you return to the Expanse and remain there." he warned. "I am in no mood for cryptic jests."

The silver-haired Hindu entity raised his hands. "So feisty..." he chided amusingly. "What I'm getting at is... There's going to be a new conflict on the horizon, and no matter what anyone does, it will happen. It will engulf the world, and all living things in it." A chuckle escaped him. "And I certainly look forward to it."

"Is that why you chose a new God Slayer?" Dagda inquired. The god raised an eyebrow at this. "Do not think I am not aware. Shortly after the Counter-Demon Force quarantined Kuoh, you chose to reincarnate someone to be your god-killer. You questioned my choices, so I only see it fair to question yours."

Varna chuckled. "As sharp as ever, Dagda..." he mused. "Yes, I did reincarnate a human to be my tool... but that is all she is. A tool. A means to an end." He gave the Irish God a cold stare. "I am not like you, or Mahesvara, or any of the other gods who have chosen to partake in this communion. To me, a god-killer is no more than an extension of myself, a tool I can use as I see fit."

"I doubt that's all." Dagda rebuked, clearly unconvinced as he crossed his arms. "What are you planning, Varna?"

The man merely smirked as he slowly turned away, whirling about on his foot. "You'll understand soon enough, Varna..." he said as he left. No sooner had he walked away from Dagda had his body faded away, his form liquefying into mere water, bubbles forming along the watery form before it pulled away, splashing about into the ground. Dagda "frowned" heavily, obviously troubled by the Heavenly King of the Three Worlds' words. He was not the sort to jest, and nor was he one to make idle assumptions. No, he could tell the Demon God was right. There was something brewing, something he couldn't see yet... and whatever it was, it would come without warning. He sighed, shaking his head as he looked back out into the distance. For now, all he could do was watch over his God Slayer, and ensure that he grew stronger. There were many here on this mobile base who could provide new insight for him, a means to gain greater strength... and he looked forward to seeing what Issei would become, provided he pulled himself away from this pit of despair.

* * *

Issei was back on the bed, with his legs hanging at the foot. The woman who entered the room sat across from him, her legs crossed over one another. The boy held his head in his hands, disbelief and utter shock present. "...a month..." he mumbled incoherently. "Kuoh's been destroyed... for over a _month_?"

The woman, who introduced herself as Namie Shiho, nodded gravely. "I'm afraid so, Hyoudou-kun." she said. "Out of the 25,000 civilians in the Kuoh Region, we were only able to evacuate, and successfully retrieve only 2,300." Issei's heart sank further. Only that many made it out...? "I'm sorry, Hyoudou-kun..." the woman said, taking a deep intake of breath. "Your parents... they were not on the survivors' list." The boy did not reply. He couldn't reply to that. The only thing he could do was allow the tears to flow from his face, sliding down his cheeks, and fall to the ground, creating a pitter-patter noise.

 _'This... this has gotta be some sick joke...'_ he thought, trying to find some form of slim hope. He wanted to get away from all of this... this nightmare. It couldn't be real... It just couldn't be. It all had to be some kind of sick dream... but he knew that it was reality. Being killed by Yuuma was real, being revived to be some sort of god-killer was real, fighting a demon was real... and watching Kuoh being set ablaze was real. It was like that entire chance meeting with that black-winged banshee had suddenly thrusted his life upside down, and his whole world sent straight into the trash heap. Not only is his home gone... but also his parents? Was... was his friends gone too? Motohama, who wanted to become a star photographer? Matsuda, who wanted to be an Olympic sportsman?

"Why..." he sobbed. "Why... did this happen...?!"

A new voice cut in. "If you wish to blame something on this tragedy, Issei Hyoudou, then blame it on the program that brought your world to an end." The teen looked up, finding a young man entering the room. He appeared to be in his teens, bearing well-groomed raven black hair and cold blue eyes, almost like ice, and stood at '5, 9" ft tall. He wore what appeared to be a a black suit of some kind, bearing a dress jacket and black pants, a brown belt with a silver buckle, brown shoes, and a dark blue tie around his neck. "That is, after all, the reason why we exist."

Namie's eyes widened. "Oh, Kamu-taichou."

"W-who..." Issei choked. "Are you?"

The young man bowed his head. "My name is Hei Kamugaseki," he introduced himself to the brunette. "And you've already met my subordinate, Namie Shiho." Hei closed the door behind him, and walked over to the window. "As for who we are... I suppose you could say we're humanity's last defense against the demons."

"Defense?"

The black-haired man produced something from his pocket. It looked to be some sort of cell, but it was oddly shaped, resembling a motion remote control for a game console, but with a complex dashboard of some kind. To Issei's shock, two rods extended from it, and then slid upward, producing what looked like a blue screen. "I must admit, I don't believe I've ever seen a human rip off the head of a demon," Hei remarked as he showed the screen to Issei. To his shock, it was his battle with the Chimera, his arms wrapped around the head of the goat, while the lion-like body tried to throw him off. "You must have quite the physical strength."

Issei's jaw dropped. How in the hell could he have gotten that footage?! Moreover, what the hell did he mean by program?! What the heck does an application or a computer app have to do with this?! Before he could react, Namie spoke up. "Hyoudou-kun," she said gently. "When you fought that demon, what did you feel?" He stared back at her in confusion. What did he feel? What the hell was that supposed to-

 _ **'JUST FUCKING DIE ALREADY YOU MOTHERFUCKER!'**_

He recalled it all. The rage, the anger, the hatred, the overwhelming bloodlust, the need to rip it apart, the desire to kill it, the want to obliterate it from this Earth. He stared back at his hands. Despite them looking so clean, he was somehow able to smell something rotten and metallic on them, almost like a lingering scent that refused to go away. "I..." he mumbled hesitantly. What was he supposed to tell them? That he was killed by his girlfriend and resurrected by some demon that was also the Irish God himself? No, he couldn't. He wasn't sure what they would do, but he wasn't exactly keen on getting killed either. He glanced at Hei, who waited for his answer patiently. He wasn't sure why... but he could tell that he was no ordinary person. He felt like the man could end his life, right then and there, before he even had a chance to do anything. "I... don't remember." he lied through his teeth, settling on this. "When... when I was fighting that thing, I... I felt so angry. A lot happened that day, and the day before, and then, I... I just snapped."

Hei closed his eyes. "...I see," he said. Somehow, Issei knew the man didn't believe him for a minute. "Let me change the subject... What do you know about the Demon Summoning Application?"

He frowned, staring at the man with scrutiny. "Demon... what?"

"The Demon Summoning Application," Namie repeated. "Is a special program that was created over thirty years ago. Through out the years, many people have found ways to beckon Demons into this world through various methods. The Demon Summoning Application is just one such method, except in digital form. It was the result of an experiment that had gone horribly wrong, an attempt at trying to discover a secret humans were never meant to uncover. When we had, we paid the price, and as a result, we had ushered these creatures into the world." She closed her eyes in regret. "In this sense... we are the ones responsible for what has transpired in Kuoh."

Issei's confusion grew. "W-what the heck does that mean?" he asked. "I don't understand... Just what is this stupid app?!"

"It's just as it sounds." Hei said. "An application that allows the user to summon demons into the physical realm. It digitizes all of the necessary steps one would use in a traditional method, and makes the process easier. The stronger the will of the summoner, and the greater concentration of Magnetite, the substance that grants demons the means to obtain and maintain a physical form, the more powerful the summoned demon is. The creature you fought, Chimera, was one of the weakest demons you can find, but it's definitely one of more tougher small-fries." Issei's eyes widened. Small-fry... that fucking monstrosity was a small fry?! "The Kuoh Region has an unusual abundant of Magnetite. It's not something you can smell or see. You might even say it's the life energy of all living things. You were lucky that the demons that destroyed Kuoh were little more than E-Level Threats." Sadness crossed the man's face, a grimace spread across his lips as he bowed once again. "I know this means little to you, who have lost all those dear to you... But I am truly sorry. Had we known that the Summoning App had grown out of control, we would have gotten there sooner."

At this point, the poor boy was hopelessly confused. He understood the part about this Magnetite stuff being what keeps a demon here, and that there was a program that could summon these things... but just what was he getting at? How had this program come to exist anyway? More importantly...

"Who in the hell... are you people?"

Hei stood straighter. "We're a government sanctioned organization, recognized by all states, including international foreign powers such as the United States. We are humanity's last defense against the demons, their last and final hope. As far as the public is aware, demons don't exist, and neither do we. Think of us as a Black-Ops unit. On paper, we don't exist, and there are no records of us ever being formed." Issei could hardly believe any of this. An organization that... didn't exist? What did he think this was? Some kind of role-playing game or fantasy? And yet, somehow... he felt drawn in by all of this talk. "We're called by several names. Devil Summoners, Demon Busters, Hunters... but we are known only by one name, and one name only."

Hei's eyes hardened. "...the Counter-Demon Force."

Counter-Demon Force... the name seemed to roll off the tongue easily, and it seemed to click with him. A group... that fought demons...

"Issei Hyoudou..." Hei spoke again, though this time he wasn't speaking for some sort of monologue. This time, he was speaking _directly_ to him. "Tell me... do you want to join the Counter-Demon Force?"

The reaction was obvious. Issei's head snapped up, his hair flapping up comically while his eyes, slightly red from crying, looking at him, completely and utterly stunned by those nine words. Namie, however, was more vocal. "W-wait a moment here, Kamu-taichou!" she protested, shooting up from her seat with a look of vehement disagreement. "You can't be serious! Hyoudou-kun's only a child! While killing a demon may be an accomplished feat for someone with no prior experience, especially with no weapon, he's far too young! He's not ready!"

"Then we can simply enlist him in the Program." the man replied bluntly. "Also, he is not completely without a weapon. He is in possession of a Sacred Gear. Not only that, but he was also more than capable of taking a few blasts head on."

"Even still...!"

"Shiho, do you remember what I told you when you first joined the CDF?" Hei asked. Namie's eyes frowned in confusion, not understanding what he was getting at. "All losses in the world are due to a lack of ability. Nothing more, nothing less." A chuckle escaped him. "That being said, all humans are weak by nature... what gives us the ability to fight back is our will to stand against demons."

Her eyes softened, but protest was still clear in her eyes. "Kamu-taichou..."

"...I..." Issei spoke up, his voice quiet. Hei turned to him, looking ever as calm and imposing. "I... don't get it." he admitted, looking up at the man. "Why... why are you asking me this? I don't get what this Sacred Gear is, but... what makes me so special? I..." He clenched his fists together tightly. "I'm just an average, perverted kid who can't even fight worth a damn."

"And can an average, perverted kid who can't fight worth a demon rip off a demon's head and then pummel it to death?" the raven-haired soldier asked back. Issei didn't answer. "Everyone is given the power to stand up against what they perceive as the enemy... However, those granted with great power can change the entire world, both with their actions, and how they perform." The brunette looked up, confused. "Everyone has the power to change the world. It is how the world perceives them, and how they act, that will brought about the change that can affect the world. Think of it like the Butterfly Effect: one action spreads about a ripple that begins to create new paths, and each path you take will open up a new path, over and over, until the final door has been reached."

For the first time since Hei entered, his blue eyes stared right back into Issei's green irises.

"Issei Hyoudou..." he said, his tone now booming. "You are one of those people. Someone with the power to change the world. However, as you are one of them, you will be faced with several choices, some of them you might not even want to take. In which case, I will ask you... Can you handle it all? The decision to destroy, and to choose? Answer me... Issei Hyoudou."

Issei was left completely stunned, and speechless. He couldn't form any response to Hei's words. How could he? The implications were... staggering, if not outlandish. Him able to change the world? How as he supposed to do that? What made him so special, other than his current predicament. But, there was also what Hei said that really hit home with him. The burden of being given the option to create and to destroy may seem simple at first glance, but in reality, their the hardest choices a person makes. Issei understood it to some degree, but he never expected that he would ever have to make such decisions. His life, up until this point, has been average. He recalled each memory so vividly, and learned very little about the world. He had been so obsessed with achieving his dream of becoming a Harem King that he never stopped to think what he was actually achieving or doing. His parents had always scolded him for his decisions. He was smart, if he was able to get into Kuoh, but he never used them. He recalled his father telling him that if he pushed himself, he could actually achieve something.

But... his parents were gone. Because of the demons. His friends were gone, and his home, reduced to a smoldering pile of rubble. His whole life had been sent straight to hell in a hand-basket, and it was all because of one damned meeting with a freaking beautiful girl. Dammit all, why couldn't he have seen it? A girl outright asking you out on a date, when it was the first time you met? It was stupid! Idiotic even! How could he have fallen for it?! ...oh, wait, Yuuma was cute and had a nice rack, but that was beside the point dammit! Ever since he got killed by her, he had been thrown head-first into a world he didn't understand.

...but, he did understand one thing, at the very least.

"...this... Counter-Demon Force..." he said slowly, staring at his hands. "It was made... to fight demons, right?"

Hei nodded. "That's correct."

Issei was silent for several minutes. To Namie, it felt like hours. She wasn't happy about this, not at all. She couldn't understand her superior's thoughts on the matter. Why was he allowing Issei to join? It was a bad idea. He was so young, and Sacred Gear be damned, he doesn't have any real combat experience sans his fight with the Chimera. Not only that, but the incident likely left him emotionally scarred. He would seek revenge, and his hatred and personal feelings would get ahead of him. His personal feelings would be the end of him, and she couldn't let that happen. Not only that, but it was also against protocol. Hei was allowing a civilian to join the Counter-Demon Force, and a minor at that. If one wanted to join, they needed to go through the Program, and train there for two to three years before being considered ready for field combat.

It was a sad state of affairs... but somehow, she knew that, no matter what she said, Issei would choose this current path laid out for him. Her thoughts proved true when he lifted his head to look at her superior, green eyes set ablaze.

"...I'm in."

Hei smiled thinly, extending his hand.

"Then, I welcome you... to the Counter-Demon Force, Issei Hyoudou."

End of LIFE 03


	4. Volume 2: Life 4: Counter-Demon Force

Disclaimer: This story is a product of fanfiction. Highschool DxD and the Shin Megami Tensei franchise are owned by their respective creators, Funimation and Atlus. Any and all relations to real-life places or people are mere coincidences.

With that in mind... Demons Anarchy of Pride and CodeEmperor07 are proud to present: DxD: FINAL!

* * *

"No longer human. Not angel, not demon. He is...my puppet." -Dagda, Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse

* * *

 **DxD: FINAL**

 _Volume 2: The Counter-Demon Force_

* * *

 **Life 04: Counter-Demon Force**

 _Myths. Legends. Lores. Folktales. Stories._

 _No matter what sort of fictional tale you read, no matter what form of literature you may find in your hands, you will always know that, in some way, the presence of the supernatural will be present._

 _Of course, that was all the supernatural was. Mere figments of a fervent imagination, left only to be told in mere stories and fables. It only existed in the idle minds of men...at least, that was what people thought._

 _Until, one day...THAT day came._

 _I can still remember it... even now, every time I close my eyes, I can see it. Even now, I can still remember the sight: an entire city being engulfed in flames, and corpses everywhere, some buried in debris, and others mutilated._

 _It's been a year... but I still remember it. No, that's not it. It's that I refuse to forget it. I won't forget how my parents were killed, nor will I forget the lives that were lost that day._

 _The Cataclysm... the event that shook the world. It was when humanity was thrown head-first into the world of the supernatural, the world of monsters, demons, angels, and gods. Kuoh was reduced to mere rubble, and whoever was left behind in the wake of it all were rescued by the Counter-Demon Force, an organization tasked with eliminating the demons._

 _Humanity is about to fight back... but, I've always asked myself the same question: are nothing but tools for others? Weapons of mass destruction? I don't know the answer... all I know is that I will fight. I will fight to survive, and kill whatever stands in my way, even the gods if need be._

 _That is role now... one who kills gods. One who cuts them down._

 _My name is Issei Hyoudou... and this is my story._

* * *

(Six Months Later)

"Alright, you maggots! Listen up! As of today, your not just some trainee, wasting your pathetic times behind desks and holding wooden swords! As of today, you are cadets! You are not spineless cowards! As of today, even if you are just a bunch of wimps, you are Hunters! And as of today, each and every one of you will learn what it means to hunt down Demons!"

"Sir, yes sir!" The lined up cadets shouted.

"I can't hear you!"

"SIR, YES SIR!"

"Hmph, good enough!" the instructor, a bald man with sunken cheeks and glaring white eyes growled, walking back and forth in a straight line with his arms behind his back. "Each of you maggots will be receiving your own COMP, but don't get too comfy! These were made only for cadets! Once you have graduated, you will be given your own personal COMP!"

COMPs. Also known as Arm Terminals. They are devices resembling ear pieces connected to metal gauntlets for the left arm. Every Hunter Cadet possessed one, though these were, as the instructor said, designed for them. Cadets. As each cadet stepped forward to receive an armlet, the ones handing them out began to distribute them. The armlets were plain white with LCD screens, covering the forearm while the earpiece resembled a small earphone. However, the only one that did not move to obtain one was a young teen, sitting off to the side. It was a teen with messy brown hair, bearing dark green eyes with a green scar on his cheek, as well as green markings on his left hand. He wore a carbon green jacket over a dark red shirt, and a pair of worn out denim jeans with combat boots. Strapped to his back was a katana, held firmly in a sheathe. The most striking feature about him was the black bracer around his left wrist, which resembled the armlets being passed out, only being more sleek and more slim, rather than the white and bulky models. It also seemed to lack an earpiece attached to it.

"Hey, who's he?" one of the cadets questioned. "I don't think I've seen him in class before."

"Dunno," another replied. "Maybe he's from another class?"

"Never mind that, check out his arm!"

"Dude...isn't that a COMP?! And it's one of the ones used by the S-0 Squad too!"

"You serious?! How the fuck did he get a hold of one of those?!"

The types of COMPs that soldiers receive are based on the squad they are placed in. The squad that possesses the best COMPs available are the S-0 Squad. And it was for good reason. They were the best of the best, led by Hei Kamugaseki, who was considered to be one of the strongest Demon Tamers the Counter-Demon Force had, second only to Skins. Few could hold a candle to him. Some had even said that no one could touch him on the battlefield. Thus, it was confusing and annoying to know that someone was already in possession of such a COMP. How in the world did he get ahold of one? Why did he get one while they were given training-issued COMPs?! It just wasn't fair!

"Unbelievable..." a young man muttered from the crowd of cadets. He was fairly tall, standing at least '5, 9" ft tall, his body physically fit. He wore a black skin-tight muscle shirt with dark jeans and boots, as well as the light gray jacket that all cadets wore. His hair was vibrant orange, and his smoldering brown eyes were glaring at the bot. "We're standing here, getting COMPs meant for cadets, and that guy has one from Kamugaseki's Squad?"

The girl next to him sighed. "Knock it off, Niisan," she said. She was a young teenager with unkempt, fiery red hair and soft brown eyes. She too wore the light gray jacket, though she wore a buttoned shirt, which was partially undone, thus leaving a fair bit of cleavage exposed, and black tights with gothic boots with silver highlighted straps. "C'mon, let's grab our COMP's!"

Kaworu Hibiyuki continued to glare at the teen before turning away, scoffing. "Whatever, Saegusa..."

The girl pouted at her brother's dismissive behavior before stepping forward to follow him, but not before looking over her shoulder to get a glance at the boy. While seemed like a recluse...to her, he actually looked...lonely...

Reluctantly, she followed her brother to obtain her own COMP. Still...she couldn't help but to try and talk to him...maybe another time.

"...hey, Hibari," a rough voice called out to the instructor. The intimidating bald man turned to see a rather shabby looking man walking over to him, wearing a light blue jacket with a Hawaiian shirt, white pants, and leather brown shoes, as well as dark orange sunglasses and a black fedora hat. "How are things going over here?"

The instructor, Hibari, bowed his head. "The cadets are receiving their COMPs, and are ready to begin their training, Fujiwara-san," he reported before looking at the boy Kaworu was glaring at earlier. "Except for Hyoudou, however." A deep frown marred his face as he looked back at Fujiware, who was looking at Issei Hyoudou with a calm collected look. "Mind explaining to me why Kamugaseki-san wanted to throw a kid who was already accepted into the CDF into the training program?"

"He said it would be a good way for him to gain more experience." Fujiwara shrugged.

Unlike the other teens here, Issei Hyoudou had no need to undergo the training regiment. He had already been accepted into the Counter-Demon Force, thus it was natural to think that this training experience would be useless to him. However, to Hei Kamugaseki, this training was meant to increase his experience. Hibari had heard all about it, the kid possessing a Sacred Gear, and beating a demon with his bare fists down into a bloody pulp. He had to admit, the kid may have looked scrawny, but after seeing the footage, he still looked pretty damn terrifying. He also felt bad for the kid too. His home was burned down to a crisp, labelled a danger zone, and left as a charred mess.

He had lost everything that day. And when he was offered a chance to kill the Demons who were responsible, he accepted the offer without hesitation. In order for him to hone his abilities, the teen was placed into the training program, despite his COMP being proof that he was already a member of the Counter-Demon Force. Of course, Hibari knew that no one was going to be happy about this arrangement. Everyone would hold him with jealousy and rage, and would no doubt try to find a way to humiliate him, or try to aggrevate him to where he would screw up.

"Still, he makes a good edition," Fujiwara said with a sly smile. "After all, not many of us in the CDF have a Sacred Gear."

"Really now..." Now Hibari was interested. It was true. Sacred Gear holders were rare in the Counter Demon force. Especially if they were of higher tier.

The Head of the Research and Development Division nodded, taking a sip of his tea. "Yeah," he said with a whimsical smile. "It's sealed for the moment, but it's apparently one of the Longinus. Going by that it's currently a Twice Critical, I think it's safe to say it's one with a dragon involved."

Hibari snorted at this. "If the kid things I'll go easy on him, just because of that, he's sorely mistaken!" he said before he whirled around to one of the officers. "Have all cadets received their COMP's?!"

"Yes sir!" The officer saluted in response before gesturing to the cadets, each one equipped with a COMP.

Hibari nodded. He then turned to face everyone, who then saluted him. "Alright, maggots!" he screamed. "As it stands, each and every one of you has now officially become enlisted in the training program! This program will decide whether or not you have what it takes to become a proud member of the Counter-Demon Force, or remain here on PHAROS doing jack shit!"

A significant number of the cadets gulped. So this was a course to weed out who would be fighting and who would be useless. But they remained steadfast as they willed themselves to take on this task. Issei, for his part, had elected to only give the speech a half-hearted attempt to listen, though even he showed a face of the utmost seriousness. Hibari then stepped away, allowing Fujiwara to speak. "For those of you who don't know, I am Fujiwara, the head of Research and Development," the shabby man introduced himself to the cadets. "And as you know, being a Hunter is dangerous business. Constantly, you will all be forced to risk your lives to defeat the demons who threaten this world. Of course, the same can also be said about the Devils and the Fallen Angels. While the treaty is still in effect, there are some among the Three Great Factions that don't abide by the peace that stands. As such, you will come across Stray Devils and rogue Fallen Angels, possibly even the Khaos Brigade, led by the Dragon God, Ophis."

Many of the Cadets felt sweat pouring down their faces, heart thumping. Demons were the biggest threat to humanity, but not the only one. While the goal of the Khaos Brigade was unknown to them at present, they were still dangerous, with the likes of those of the Old Satan Faction, and even the Hero Faction, humans who had chosen to side with monsters, many of whom call themselves descendants of legendary heroes.

"Of course, each of you was already aware of this," Fujiware said with a small smile on his face. "Otherwise, you wouldn't have chosen to become Hunters. Every day, you will be tested, scored, and ranked. Tests will involve two types: written, and combat. The written portion is simply to test your knowledge of the mechanics behind the Demon Summoning Program. The combat portion is self-explanatory; you will spar against one another, and test your strength. The lowest ranked cadets will be removed from the program, and returned home. Those who make the cut will become Hunters, and assigned to units."

"Now, any questions?"

The orange-haired boy, Kaworu, raised his hand. "Yeah, I got one," he said, looking back at Issei as he stabbed a thumb in his direction. "What about that guy? Each of us was given COMP's issued for cadets, right? So why was he given one from the S-0 Squad?!"

Upon his declaration, a good number of other cadets voiced their own objections as well. Issei took it all with a level expression, yet his teeth were gritted in annoyance. "Heh, it figures," Dagda mused. Unlike before, his form was hidden inside the COMP, reflected in the screen. "All it takes is a few fancy toys, and suddenly, everyone thinks your arrogant. Typical human nature. Still, have to admit, time flies by pretty quickly. Half a year later, and here you are, stuck with 100 runts for the next three months."

Fujiwara pushed up his shades, keeping his expression even. "Hyoudou-kun was accepted into the S-0 Squad, that's why he's been given an official COMP."

This elicited a wave of outrage. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?!" someone screamed. "We just became cadets, but that guy's already been made a Hunter?! That's bullshit!"

"Yeah!" a female member of the cadets shouted in agreement. "What makes him special?!"

However, while everyone else was in an uproar, the Hibiyuki siblings were surprised to hear the name of the boy in question. "Hyoudou?" Saegusa blinked, staring at the boy with large eyes. "As in, Issei Hyoudou? From the Perverted Trio?"

"I guess we weren't the only ones who made it out of there," Kaworu remarked as he folded his arms over his chest. "Still, that's surprising. The infamous Oppai Baka, a Hunter?" He snorted. "Now I've seen it all."

As the waves of protest grew, Fujiwara held up a hand to silence them. "Hyoudou-kun's acceptance is unusual, I will tell you that much," he said calmly. "However, this decision was made by Hei Kamugaseki, the Captain of S-0 Squad, and the Epsilon Divisin Leader." Everyone's eyes widened, and gawked as they turned their attention back to Issei. "Furthermore, he already has live combat experience, as he was able to kill a demon without the assistance of a COMP."

This tidbit of news stunned the rest of the cadets to silence. This guy...killed a demon with his bare hands?! "Well, that isn't actually true," Dagda mused with a grin. "After all, a pitiful demon like that wasn't a match for a God Killer, much less a Sekiryuutei." Issue remained silent and he clenched his fists. Even now, he could still feel the Chimera's blood on his hands, clawing it's eyes out. Even after half a year went by, he still felt the fear and horror of what he had done, despite the rage that had pumped through his veins at that moment.

"Anyway," Fujiwara continued. "It doesn't matter. Being a Hunter is no game, even for cadets. From here on out, it's life or death. You will gather in the lecture hall first thing tomorrow morning. For now, take the time to rest. After all," A smile touched his lips, nodding his head to the group. "Your going to need it."

With that said, he left, leaving the cadets to themselves. They didn't have time to relax or celebrate yet, as Hibari stood before them. "Alright, you maggots, you heard the man! Head to the mess hall!" he screamed before snapping into a salute. "DISMISSED!"

"Yes sir!" The cadets responded. They then broke off into small groups to go to various areas of the base. Gossip was exchanged amongst them.

"Man, talk about crazy...that Hibari guy really is terrifying."

"No shit, right? That Fujiwara is definitely better, though."

"I hear he and Commander Skins are the ones who started the Counter-Demon Force in the first place."

"Skins...the leader of the Inperiaru Tengoku (Imperial Heaven) Unit, right?"

"Yep. They say he's even stronger than Kamugaseki."

"Man, can't believe that Hyoudou guy killed a demon with his bare hands...he doesn't look like much."

"I still don't think it's fair that he gets special treatment. What'd he do that earned him a spot on S-0 anyway?"

"Here's my thing...if the guy was accepted, why's he even here, anyway?"

The questions continued, but Issei had tuned them out. He simply flowed along with the crowd, his hands in his pockets, staring straight ahead. He didn't care what people thought of him. He was used to it. All the scorn and insults behind his back. Although, this time, it was because he could a demon with his bare hands, rather than peeking on girls.

...speaking of which! _'Every girl here is a fucking babe!'_ Issei thought as his eyes practically roamed across the bodies of many of the female cadets, especially at their chests. _'Motohama, Matsuda, if you guys are in heaven, I hope you guys are seeing this!'_

While he may have become calloused, depressed, and cynical since the events of the massive fire that swept through Kuoh Town and killed a majority of the population including his friends and family, he still appreciated the finer points of the fairer sex. After all, who didn't?! A woman's body was the greatest pleasure, and the greatest thing to have ever blessed this world! From their sexy posteriors to their bodacious boobs! And the boobs...oh GOD the boobs! Truly, Oppai was a marvelous thing! "...and you are still as perverted as an Incubus I see," Dagda noted from within his COMP, sweat-dropping if it were possible. "Seriously, kid...if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were related to Lilith. And quite frankly, that terrifies me."

"Hey...I might be calloused, depressed, and cynical ever since my hometown got burned to the ground and all my friends and family died...but I haven't lost all of my heart to appreciate the beauty that is the female body..." Issei responded.

Dagda sighed. "Well, least you know how to put your strength when it matters," he said. "Anyway, don't look now, but you've got company."

"Eh?"

"Oooi, Hyoudou-senpai!" The teen blinked. Senpai? Why would anyone call him that? He turned around, and found himself staring back at a girl running toward him, possessing fiery red hair and light brown eyes. "Wait up!" Issei looked at the approaching girl in confusion. Had...had he met her before...? The girl stopped right in front of him and leaned forward to catch her breath. She took a moment before standing straight. "Sorry about that...phew!" the girl said before smiling. "Didn't think I'd see you again, Hyoudou-senpai!"

"Ano...I'm sorry but who are you? Have we met before?"

The girl grinned. "Well, can't say I don't blame you," she said with a shrug. "I'm Saegusa Hibiyuki! I'm from Kuoh Academy, like you!"

"You are?" Issei raised a brow. This was the first he heard of this. He didn't see her around the second year courses. Maybe she was an underclassman?

Saegusa nodded. "Yep, a first-year!" she said, confirming her thoughts. "So, is it true? You killed a demon with your bare hands?!"

Issei flinched from the trigger phrase. His vision blurred as a series of images flooded his mind. From the attacking Chimera, to him ripping the Demon's head off, to him gouging out its eyes, to him watching Kuoh burn.

 _Blood. Carnage. Murder. Terror. Death. Blood. Devouring. Rage. Fury. Blood. Death. Fire. Blood. **Despair! Anguish! Rage! Death! Carnage! Blood! Death**!_

"...yeah, but it wasn't pretty."

Saegusa nodded in understanding. "I can understand that," she said, though he knew that she didn't mean that. "Still, that's pretty impressive. Kind of hard to believe the guy they called Oppai Baka is the same guy who got into the S-0 Squad before everyone else!"

"...It's been a long six months..." Issei replied.

"Yeah, I know." She nodded. "I still can't believe that happened. I mean...why would Demons suddenly attack out town like that?"

Before Issei could answer that, a voice shouted out from behind them. "Oi, Saegusa! Come on, let's go!"

"Jeez, calm down, Niisan!" Saegusa shouted back, pouting. "I'm talking with Hyoudou-senpai!"

"What? The Oppai-baka?" The male shouted in confusion.

Issei felt his eyebrow twitch. "OI!" Sure he was part of the Perverted Trio...but did that stupid nickname REALLY follow him all the way here?!

"It was your own fault, kid." Dagda commented.

He whirled around, intending on snapping at the one responsible. But then he stopped on his feet, his expression of rage fading away.

 _'...holy shit this guy is intimidating.'_ Was the first thought that popped into Issei's mind. He really didn't like how the guy was glaring at him. In all honesty, it reminded him of the way an overprotective brother glares at people he thinks are threats to his sister. And sure enough, what the girl said next fulfilled that suspicion.

"Hi Niisan!"

Kaworu growled as he glared down at Issei, brown eyes smoldering. "I don't appreciate a pervert hanging around my sister," he said with obvious hostility. "So I'd appreciate it if you stay away from her!"

Saegusa groaned. "Oh, for the love of...! Niisan, seriously!" she snapped childishly, stomping her foot on the ground. "Quit being so suspicious of people I hang around with! Sure, he's a pervert, but he's our senpai!"

"That was when we were in school," Kaworu scoffed. "Here, we're just cadets..." he paused before his glare became even more intense. "Well, ALMOST all of us."

"And just what are you implying..." Issei's disposition took a 180. Gone was the perverted idiot. He was now replaced by a man who has seen hell and crawled out of it. His green eyes, which still yet appeared brown to others, burned fiercely as he glared back at Kaworu.

The teen snorted. "Come on, I don't buy it," he sneered. "There's no way a pissant like you could have killed a demon, especially with your bare hands. Hell, you could barely stand up after getting your ass kicked by the girls from the kendo club."

Saegusa frowned at her brother's attitude. She knew that he didn't really approve of Issei, even when he was at Kuoh, but this was still unwarranted. Also, why was he being so antagonistic? "Niisan, that's-"

"If you want a fight," Issei cut her off, his voice even yet dangerous. "Then just ask, carrot-top."

"What did you say?!" The rude teen snarled.

"It's as I said. Or do you have poor hearing to match your piss poor attitude?"

At this point, everyone who was passing by to reach the mess hall had stopped, slowly gathering around the two. It was clear by the tension between them that a fight was about to break out, and Kaworu was looking close to throwing the first punch. His hands were balled into fists, and his mouth was open to reveal his molars grinding against one another, eyes livid with outrage. Issei, meanwhile, stared him down.

He did not his irritation overwhelmed him. He knew better than that. Besides, against someone like him...there was no need to go all out. After all, he wasn't a demon. He was human...and compared to demons, human lives were... _fragile_.

Kaworu growled. "Your asking for it, you little bastard."

"Technically, you were the one who were the one who was asking for it when you first decided to approach me. the reason, I assume is because you are one of the many cadets who believe my being in Squad S-0 being completely unfair when I am grouped with you guys, and even more unbelievable to you because you thought I was a hopeless, perverted nobody just like in school. But let me tell you, carrot top, that no one could stay the same after what happened to Kuoh. I just chose to grow up is all. Now what say you? Are you going to grow up as well? Or remain the narrow-minded child that you are acting like right now?"

His response was more than justified. It would be hard to refute such a claim, after all. He had seen his home, the city he was born into, be reduced to smoldering rubble and consumed by an inferno. Worse, he learned that his parents had died in that fire. Not just them, but his friends too. Everyone he cared about, everyone he loved...all gone. While it may have been true that he was a hopeless pervert, he needed to grow up sometime. Perversion be damned, he was still meant to fight. Dadga has said so himself. So long as he remains as the Deity's God-Killer, he would remain his tool for deicide. Thus, because of his nature, the demons would be attracted to him, and fight him for the sake of eating and consuming his power.

To that end, he agreed with Kamugaseki's proposal. For six months he trained with the man, learning everything he could about the Demon Summoning Program, how to summon demons, how to fuse them, and how to use the power of his Sacred Gear. While many still believed that it's power was sealed, it was within the third month of training that it had revealed it's true form. Hei seemed to recognize it, and told Issei never to show this to anyone outside of S-0. He didn't understand why, but he didn't care. He followed the order, and told everyone that it was just Twice Critical.

Regardless, unlike how he was six months ago...he knew how to fight. And if the livid look on Kaworu's face was any indication, he was about to get himself into one. Somehow, he just couldn't stop himself, and smirked as he wagged a finger at him.

"Well, what are you waiting for, carrot-top? You want a fight, right? Or...was all of that big talk of yours just for compensating for something?"

"Oh that tears it!" with rage fueling hs actions, Kaworu moved to sock Issei in the face. Just when the fist was about to strike him, the brown haired teen moved his head to the side, just barely missing it.

In that same fluid motion, Issei grabbed his wrist, pulled him in, and then delivered his knee straight into his abdomen, knocking the air out of him. Afterwards, he grabbed Kaworu by the roots of his hair, and then rammed his knee, this time to his face. The crowd heard the sickening crack as the bones in his nose broke apart, causing him to cry out in pain. He then followed up with a swift kick, his heel ramming straight into the side of his head.

The orange haired boy who talked smack to the brunette tumbled to the floor, groaning in pain. "N-Niisan!" Saegusa cried, running to him. Kaworu groaned, feeling his head throbbing from the strike, heavily disoriented. Dammit, what the heck was that? That wasn't a kick, that felt like a bar was swung at his head!

"Are you finished your temper tantrum, now?" Issei questioned calmly as he walked over to the two. "You should realize that squabbles out of envy and spite would lead to mistrust and betrayal on the battlefield. We are at war with Demons here. If you are seriously thinking about going through crap like this, then the Counter Demon Force has no need for cadets who would end up abusing their power or commit treachery." He crouched down and looked him in the eye. "I had to go through six months of Hell just to reach where I am today, and it's still not enough. Not against those Demons out there. If you are a citizen of Kuoh, why are you directing your spite at me rather than the Demons that destroyed out home? Is it because I'm a worthless pervert that shouldn't exist? Please...I know the truth of what all you say behind my back. That I am a worthless piece of shit and waste of space who no one would miss if he were to die. That I am a oppai-obsessed idiot who won't get anywhere in life. Enemy of all women. I heard it all before. Yet I ignored it all because I was with my friends. Sure we were perverts, but we had lines we would never cross. They may be enemies of women as well, but that did not mean they didn't have dreams. Matsuda wanted to be an Olympic athlete and win gold medals for Japan. Motohama wanted to be a renowned photographer. Not just simple photographer who takes photos of women, but a true photographer who gets to travel the world and snap photos of grand sights for others to see. But now...they would never achieve those dreams. Why? Because they are dead. They are dead like everyone I cherished. My family, friends. Everyone. I have nothing left. At least you still have a sister who cares about you. I. Have. Nothing. At. All. And before you say anything, no. I don't want your pity. It's not even worth it. All I'm saying is simply fact."

Issei then stood up and turned away, but not before saying a few final words. "Next time, think first before you blow a fuse." Then he walked away.

Everyone was left utterly stunned, especially the Hibiyuki siblings. His personality had changed significantly since the events that transpired six months ago...and Saegusa had understood why. Time would always bring about change. This was something she had expected, though Kaworu's eyes remained at the ground, left unmoving, as blood continued to drip from his nose.

* * *

"...damn, kid had it rough."

That was the only comment that Skins had for the young man who had just made a mockery of the orange-haired brat that was causing a commotion. The name certainly fit his appearance, clad in dark green leather armor with a hood over his head, bearing a gaunt, wizened face with an assortment of stitches, as well as an intimidating set of eyes, which seemed to be knit into a constant fierce glare. At his side was a katana, held firmly in a sheathe. He had seen the incident, yet made no move to stop it, simply waiting to see how it would play out.

"Well, what did you expect?" Fujiwara asked, taking a sip of his tea. "Hyoudou-kun was one of the survivors, like those siblings. Although, I imagine he's taking it the hardest. After all, he lost two friends, and his parents. They only lost their friends, but still have their families."

"Indeed." Skins nodded. "He truly has lost everything that day...But you know what they say. Those who hit rock bottom can only climb back up from there."

The shabby man chuckled. "True enough."

"Anyway, still found it hard to believe that Hei actually recommended the brat."

"Well, the boy must've made quite an impression on him."

Skins chuckled. "Which is surprising...given that it's the Demon in Human Skin we're talking about here."

"Well, you have to admit that Hei is the best we have. If he really thinks that the boy has what it takes, then it is good enough for me."

* * *

"...yikes, you took a real shiner there," Saegusa said as she applied some gauze to the dark, angry bruise on her brother's cheek. "Hyoudou-senpai really got you good." As soon as she finished applying the bandage, she gave her brother a disapproving glare. "That being said, you deserved it! Look, he may be a pervert, but he's still our senpai! Seriously, Niisan! You shouldn't pick fights with other people, especially people who are going to be our comrades!"

The orange haired teen did not answer her. His mind was focused on Issei's words from earlier.

 _'I had to go through six months of Hell just to reach where I am today, and it's still not enough. Not against those Demons out there. If you are a citizen of Kuoh, why are you directing your spite at me rather than the Demons that destroyed out home? Is it because I'm a worthless pervert that shouldn't exist? Please...I know the truth of what all you say behind my back. That I am a worthless piece of shit and waste of space who no one would miss if he were to die. That I am a oppai-obsessed idiot who won't get anywhere in life. Enemy of all women. I heard it all before. Yet I ignored it all because I was with my friends. Sure we were perverts, but we had lines we would never cross. They may be enemies of women as well, but that did not mean they didn't have dreams. Matsuda wanted to be an Olympic athlete and win gold medals for Japan. Motohama wanted to be a renowned photographer. Not just simple photographer who takes photos of women, but a true photographer who gets to travel the world and snap photos of grand sights for others to see. But now...they would never achieve those dreams. Why? Because they are dead. They are dead like everyone I cherished. My family, friends. Everyone. I have nothing left. At least you still have a sister who cares about you. I. Have. Nothing. At. All.'_

"...that guy seriously pisses me off..."

He shook his head. He just can't stop thinking about it. Sure he lost everything, but no one got out unscathed.

"You're just upset because he made you feel guilt." Saegusa deduced. Kaworu became flaberghasted by his sister's response, and tried to rebuke her, only to find his words die in his throat. The red head smirked. "See?"

"Th-That's ridiculous! I-I don't feel any guilt at all. No guilt or pity at all!" He huffed.

"So you admit you are a cold-heartless bastard who doesn't even care that our friends died along with Hyoudou-senpai's in that fire?"

The orange-haired teen scowled in indignation, turning away from his sister before. She had a point, though he wasn't about to admit that the reason he picked a fight with the guy wasn't just about how he unfairly got accepted into the CDF ahead of everyone...it was also the fact that he was hanging around Saegusa.

He couldn't stand the idea of his sister hanging around with that pervert. It was just how he was. He was her older brother! It was his job to make sure she was safe!

And yet...Yet the Oppai Baka was able to beat him down so easily! He didn't even break a sweat. "Dammit...what kind of training did he go through to get that strong?" He said that he went through hell for the past six months...was that what he was referring to? Were all members of the S-0 Squad such...monsters...? Then again...he heard that their squad leader, Hei Kamugaseki, was called the Demon in Human Skin for some reason. From what he's heard, he was the number one agent in the Counter Demon Force. The best there was. And he was the leader of the S-0 Squad.

However, he was called the Demon in Human Skin, and while Kaworu was not aware of the circumstances, he was aware that many held the man in high regard, and were utterly terrified of him. Perhaps his training truly was hell? Wait, why was he even thinking about that? He had more important things to deal with, namely trying to deal with tomorrow. After all, it was the first day of training, and he was sure that it would be terrifying. Plus, the one leading the training exercise would be none other than Skins.

He shuddered to even think about what would possibly be in store for them. Either way, he thought it would be best to get some sleep. It will be a big day tomorrow.

"Well, let's get some sleep, Niisan," Saegusa suggested as she backed away, finishing her medical attention to her sibling. "After all, tomorrow's the big day."

Kaworu nodded, and laid down on his bunk, hands behind his head while staring up at the ceiling. His mind was still focused on what Issei had said earlier, making him sigh in aggravation. "So annoying..." he muttered as he turned over to his side and closed his eyes.

He fell asleep in minutes.

* * *

"Stupid long corridors and stupid directions..." Issei growled as he looked around, scratching the back of his head. "I'm so lost, it's not even funny!"

"It's surprising how humans could make a mobile base this large..." Dada commented.

"That's what I wanna know! How the hell can you make something this big, and not have anyone know about it?! PHAROS' the size of the freaking Texas for crying out loud!" His exclamation echoed out through the hall, further supporting his claim of the sheer size of the transportable building. He just didn't understand it...just who thought it was a good idea to build a mobile command center this huge? Sure, he knew it also functioned as a refugee camp and home for those who had suffered at the hands of demons, but making it this large is just insane! Hell, he barely explored much of it, despite living here for half a year! "Honestly...why does this place have to be so freaking huge?!"

"It was designed that way because it was meant to be an artificial island," a voice spoke from behind him, causing Issei to yelp. "Though it's use changed when the government learned about the threat of demons." The teen whirled around, and found someone behind him. It was a man dressed in a vibrant red suit and light gray hair, wearing a pair of glasses that seemed to have a glare perfectly reflected, thus obscuring his eyes. He sat in a large wheelchair, with his legs crossed over one another. He greeted the teen with a wide smile. "Hi. I'm not a demon."

"Who...who the hell are you...?" Issei questioned, raising his guard. He thought he was alone. And he would've felt the presence of anyone else approaching due to his training. It was like this guy appeared out of thin air!

"My name is Stephen. It's a pleasure to meet you, Issei." The man smiled as he extended a hand in greeting.

Issei blinked, looking at his hand, and then to the man. Slowly, and carefully, he took the man's hand. "A...pleasure, Stephen-san."

"Please, call me Stephen," the man said. "Tell me, how are you getting used to PHAROS? Well, I hope?"

"Er, sort of...still freaking huge."

Stephen chuckled. "That was the point, you see," he said as the two parted. "PHAROS was originally designed to be an artificial island, built for the purpose of expanding it's military access and advancing scientific research. Although, once the worlds' governments learned about the existence of demons, it went from an island to a mobile base, acting as both a home to the victims, and a mobile command center for the Counter-Demon Force."

"Because of circumstances, this island was made into a base? That's pretty crazy..."

"Agreed," Stephen nodded. "Still, I must say, I'm quite surprised."

"Eh?"

"To think that Dagda's God-Killer would also be the Sekiryuutei...fate works in some mysterious ways."

This made Issei even more alert. He...he knew just what he was?! Who is he?!

"You may relax, Issei," Stephen told me. "I'm not your enemy. I am more of a...interested third party."

"A third party..." Issei did not drop his guard, but he visibly relaxed.

The man nodded. "Correct," he said with a slight smile. "I don't blame you for being cautious. After all, the Cataclysm was a unfortunate event, yet it is also the turning point of your destiny."

"A...turning point?"

"Soon," Stephen said. "Humanity will be thrown into a conflict it will barely be able to comprehend. When that time comes, you will find yourself at a crossroads, with three paths open to you. One path may lead you to a freedom stripped of free will, or perhaps a freedom obtained by brutal means." A smile soon presented itself unto Stephen's face as he pushed up his glasses. "Or, if you wish, you can take the middle path...but do remember, that each path can branch off from another."

"Th-three paths...you mean...based on my actions...I could possibly walk down any of them?"

"Correct. However, your decisions are your own. Whether you walk down the roads of Law, Chaos, or Neutral is entirely up to you..."

Stephen smiled again. "If you wish to walk the middle path, I shall help you...of course, that all depends on you."

"Middle path...me...?"

"Yes. When making your own choices, you must be aware of your actions having repercussions. They do not affect only you, but those around you." It was a simple thing that was easy to understand, as Issei pondered it. It was cause and effect; all actions have an effect, though what effect all depends on the action. Still...what could happen that would cause such effects? "By the way," Stephen's voice brought him away from his thoughts, as he pointed down the hallway. "If you were looking for your new room...I'm afraid you're in the wrong block. It's down the hall. Take to the left, and keep going straight until you reach the end. Then head right. Your room is the fourth door on the left."

Issei blinked at the sudden set of instructions, and blushed in what he was just told. He wandered around to find his room for the past hour and he just learned he was in the wrong place entirely. "Ah, th-thanks..." He nodded as he stored the directions in his head.

With that, he bowed his head respectfully, and walked away. As he did so, his COMP's screen flashed, revealing Dagda's face. "That old man knew more than what he was letting on," he said to Issei. "Got any idea what that was all about, kid?"

"I have no idea...What he said about three paths I got...but it was sorta...enigmatic..."

"Law, Chaos, and Neutral..."

"Dagda?"

The deity didn't respond, as he was deep in thought. 'He's probably talking about THEM,' he thought, his eyes narrowed in concern. 'Just what is that man implying, I wonder...?'

"Dagda?" Issei asked again.

'And just how does he know so much...he is quite the unusual being...'

"Dagda!"

The Celtic deity snapped out of his thoughts from the third shout and redirect his attention to Issei. "Sorry, what were you saying, kid?"

"Are you alright? I tried calling your name but you didn't respond."

"I was...lost in thought is all," he told his God-Killer. "Anyway, we should keep what he said in mind, at least about that Law and Chaos thing."

"You know what he's talking about?"

"It's just a guess, but if I'm right...we've got a looot of work ahead of us."

* * *

(The Next Day)

"G-GAAAH!"

"And time! Winner, Kaworu Hibiyuki!" The instructor announced as the orange haired teen raised his arms in victory.

It was the first day of training, and the cadets were thrown into a series of drills and sparring matches.

As one expected, the training was definitely nothing to sneeze at. As they were going to be fighting demons, they were tasked with serious drills that tested their bodies to the limit. Various exercises were conducted in order to strengthen them, though some had already chosen to quit the training early, due to the stress behind it. Some persevered, but most were obviously taxed, looking ready to drop. Kaworu was covered thick in sweat, but his face was set in determination, jaw set as he cracked his shoulders, loosening the tension. Half an hour had passed, and he had been through five matches. His opponent was down on the mat, groaning and covered in bruises.

He had been doing well to hold up this far, but compared to a certain Squad S-0 member, he was barely holding on. Speaking of Issei...there was a large crowd gathered around his ring. And for good reason.

"YOU LITTLE PUNK!" The brunettes opponent growled as he squared off against him. It had been less than three minutes, and Issei hadn't suffered a single injury, whereas his opponent was covered in bruises. Issei had barely broken a sweat while his foe was panting heavily. Essentially, the opponent was getting pretty pissed at the ordeal.

The class was also amazed by the fact that Issei was only around 5'7", while his opponent was easily two heads bigger than him. Of course, some of the girls were squealing due to the fact that Issei's body was exposed to them. The males wore black tank tops, which were quite loose in his opinion, and gray shorts. The same went for the girls. Thus, most of their bodies were quite exposed...and the girls were practically drooling at the sight of many boys who had ripped bodies.

Yet none of it compared to the God-Killer in question.

It looked as if his body was chiseled from marble. None of the girls tpfrom Kuoh Academy could believe that Issei had a well built body like this. There was hardly any baby fat, but there wasn't enough muscle for him to be considered a body-builder. It was just at the right mass. It left some of the males envious, while the girls were quite happy.

Saegusa, in particular.

Her face was flushed a bright red upon seeing him like that. There was also a bit of drool falling from her mouth.

"Oi oi..." Kaworu groaned. "Would you quit gawking at every guy who's got muscles?"

"I can't help it, Niisan!" Saegusa retorted, a pleasant shiver running down her spine as she wiggled. "A muscled body is absolutely perfect! The pectorals, the collarbones, the rippling pectorals! Aaaah...!"

The orange-haired brother sighed, shaking his head. "Freaking muscle-loving idiot...how did the track team put up with her as its manager?"

Issei was oblivious to all of this, as he simply focused on the fight. He easily dodged a large left swung, and blocked a straight forward punch, parrying it and knocking the large man away with a kick.

"Guh!" The behemoth was forced back with the air forced out of his lungs. Compared to his fights with Hei...this guy was child's play. He had been training with the man known as a Demon in Human Skin for the past six months. While his body felt like it would break from the strain of the training, he had gotten more out of it than anything in his life. He managed to fight evenly with Hei for a few minutes towards the end of his regimen.

"That it?" Issei asked in disappointment. He knew that the Cadets didn't have the training he went through...but he assumed that some of them would've put up a better fight. His opponent roared in anger, and outright charged at him with the intention of grabbing the runt and pulverizing him into bloody paste. Issei remained calm as the man rushed at him. When he got close enough, Issei lashed his arms out and grabbed the man by his shoulders. Using the momentum of his opponent, he flipped back and slammed him down on the ground behind him. Everyone in the room could hear a sickening crack as skull harshly met the hard floor.

His opponent did not get back up.

"Time!" the referee announced. "Winner, Issei Hyoudou!"

The crowd was silent as the brunette dusted himself off. He went over to check on his opponent. He pressed two fingers on his neck and felt a pulse. He was relieved. He was alive. Although...the blood pooling beneath the unconscious body was a bit concerning.

"...eh, I'm sure he'll be fine." Issei stated nonchalantly while shrugging. He turned on his heel and left the arena.

Meanwhile, everyone else sweat-dropped.

"...that guy doesn't have a care in the world."

* * *

"Alright, you have exactly an hour and thirty minutes to answer all of these questions on your document. If anyone is caught cheating, you will be receiving a penalty. If you receive five penalties, you immediately fail the test. BEGIN!"

With that, all the cadets opened their assigned booklets and went to work. Their pencils dragging across stationery to write out solutions and bubble in answers. Now that the physical portion of training is done for the day, it was time to move onto the educational portion of training.

In Issei's opinion, it was the worst portion of training, mainly due to the topics of these exams. A majority of the subjects covered pertained to Demons. Their physiology, their types, attributes, abilities, strengths, weaknesses, behavior, etc. It was to prepare them for encountering demons on the battlefield, as knowledge about them is an valuable asset to turn the tide of the war.

"The Jaki demon, Wendigo, is the advanced form of a Jack Frost of the Fairy Race," Issei read off one of the questions. "Fire attacks are effective when dealing with them, and ice attacks are ineffective. What does it specialize in? Physical attacks, or magical attacks?" The brunette frowned. "Che...if it's from a Fairy, it should use magic over brute force, right?"

Dagda chuckled. "Sorry kid, that's strike one," he said. "More often than not, Jaki demons are heavy hitters in terms of raw power. A demon evolved from a Jack Frost ain't any different."

"So despite being originally a Fairy, it's Physical Attacks surpasses its magic upon evolving?"

"Heh, give the brat a prize."

Issei scowled, hearing the demon's condescending tone, and answered the question before moving on to the next one. "Let's see...The Demon, Black Frost, is an evolved form of the Fairy, Jack Frost. He is a member of the Jaki Race. What is his weakness and what magic does he specialize in?" Issei tilted his head. "Another one? Well, given that he's another Frost, I'm guessing he's ice too...but "black?" Maybe Mudo?" He chose one of the answers, and the moved on to the next. A simple process, rinse and repeat. Compared to the physical portion, the written portion was done in little time at all. Within the allotted time frame, he answered every question before turning it in. Whether he got a good score remains to be seen. Once everyone completed their tests, they were free to go. As they spilled out of the room, Issei spotted a familiar face not far from the hall. Instantly, a grin broke across his face. "Hei-san!"

The leader of the S-0 Squad turned to the brunette and waved at him with a small smile. Issei rushed up to him to speak with his mentor and leader. "Hyoudou," the Demon in Human Skin said pleasantly as he nodded to his pupil. "It's been a while."

"Yes. It has..." The teen could not keep a smile off his face. It's nice to talk with his teacher again. "What are you doing here?"

"Actually, I wanted to introduce you to someone," Hei said. "An old teammate of mine back when I was a cadet. Before that, though...how have things been with Namie? She's been quite worried about you ever since you joined the program."

Issei chuckled, scratching his cheek. "Same as always, a mother hen."

"Indeed she is." Hei nodded in agreement. "But it is a good quality to have in a person. It shows that they are caring of others."

"So, who's this person you wanted to introduce me to?"

"Right here, boyo~"

"WHOA!"

Issei jumped as he whirled around. He didn't notice anyone sneaking up on him like that. Behind him was a woman, a beautiful one at that, having clear alabaster skin and cherry red hair that reached past her shoulders, ending at her shoulder blades, luscious pink lips, and a curvy figure. She wore rather provocative clothing, such as a low-cut tank top that exposed her midriff and a fair amount of her cleavage, as well as denim shorts that are cut close to her thighs, and knee-length leather boots, and scarlet wristbands. On her back, there was a large black tattoo sprawled across the entirety of her skin, which read "There Is No Heaven."

What really startled Issei was her eyes. Her right eye was light blue, whereas her left eye was red with a black sclera.

"Yo~" the woman greeted with a wave. "Nice to meet you, kiddo! So, you're Issei Hyoudou, huh?"

"Y-Yeah, That's me. So you must be the person Hei-san wanted to introduce me to?"

"That's right~" The woman grinned further as she began to dance around him, seemingly sizing him up from every possible angle. From the way her eyes roamed his body, he felt an unpleasant shiver run down his spine, especially WHERE her eyes were looking. Eventually, she stopped right in front of him. "Gotta say, six months worth of training by Kamu-chan gave you quite the hot little body~" she said with a teasing tone. "Or..."

She leaned in a bit, and her smile turned mischievous.

"...was that all Dagda's work, Mr. God-Killer?"

Issei's eyes widened as he whipped his head to face her. How did she know about that?! "H-How did you..."

"How did I know?" the woman giggled as she leaned back. "It's easy for someone like me to know!"

Hei sighed tiredly as he shook his head in exasperation. "Allow me to introduce Mai Itori," he said. "She's a half-kitsune, possessing six tails. She's also our expert intelligence gatherer. You won't find anyone better than her when it comes to intel gathering."

"Damn right!" She winked. "My infiltration and info broking skills are second to none~"

"T-that still doesn't..."

Mai grinned, flicking her nose. "Let's just say I've got quite the keen eye," she said simply. "Anyway...ne, Hyoudou-chan."

"E-eh?!"

"How do you feel about drinking with this nee-chan?"

* * *

(A Little While Later)

"Whew~" Mai whooped as she slammed the mug of beer down on the counter, some of the contents spilling out and splashing against the wood. "Nothing beats drinkin' in the afternoon~!"

"It's still pretty early to be drinking though..." Issei sighed as he nursed his own mug. Even though he was underage, he had some experience drinking. And technically, he was allowed to since he was now a soldier. While Namie advised him not too, she would let it slide for him once in a while as a way to unwind and just forget what happened in Kuoh. Every day...the horror of that day was burned into his vision. Drinking was a way to help numb the pain of loss he felt. But he made it a habit not to get completely wasted and suffered a hangover the following morning. He made that mistake once. He learned not to ever again. Thankfully, the bar served soft drinks, so he had ordered it rather than beer. Hei, meanwhile, had ordered some herbal tea. "So...what did you want with me?"

Mai took another swig of her beer before turning to Issei. "Why wouldn't I?" she asked, as if stating a rhetorical question. "After all, you're one of the God-Killers. Those who partake in the communion of deicide. Those who slaughter the gods themselves! I think it's pretty fair that I want to meet one~"

"...wait," Issei frowned, instantly catching her phrasing. "Are you saying...there's more than one God-Killer?"

Hei nodded. "That's correct, Hyoudou," he said, confirming his suspicions. "To be honest, there's still so much we don't know about the supernatural world, beyond the Great War that happened millions of years ago, much less the appearance of demons and where they came from. From what we do know about God-Killers, however, is that they are beings who are not bound by the laws of the world." He closed his eyes, and recited something from memory. "No longer human...but neither angel nor demon. To rend asunder hell itself, and make heaven bleed forth an ocean of red."

"Geez...that's a pretty intense description of them." Issei commented as he took a sip of his soda.

"Well, it also applies to you too since you are a God-Killer as well." Mai reminded.

"Oh yeah..."

Dagda, who had been listening in on the conversation, hummed. "They're not far off, kid," he stated to Issei from his COMP. "When I brought you back from death, you became my puppet, whether you liked it or not. That meant forfeiting your humanity entirely. Even now, your body is nothing but a corpse. The only thing keeping your heart beating is my power."

 _'Yeah, I know that...'_ Issei mentally replied. Dagda had told him this after he woke up on PHAROS and accepted the offer to join the Counter Demon Force. He was shocked at first...but compared to what happened previously, he didn't react as loudly.

He died. Dagda revived him. He is now a corpse with a beating heart. That's all there was to it.

"So...out of curiosity, do you know if there are any other God-Killers?"

"There are...but for how many, I do not know..."

Mai giggled. "Which Gods they serve is a mystery, but they power they hold is enough for different factions to try and recruit them. According to my intel, the Ring of Gaea has a God-Killer of their own."

Upon hearing the name, Issei's eyes narrowed in disgust. "The Ring of Gaea, huh..."

The Ring of Gaea. A group that preaches about individual strength. That the strong survive and the weak perish. Issei didn't know much about them, other than what Hei had told him. But from what he knows so far...he doesn't really like them. The Strong survive and the Weak perish? That's a stupid way of thinking. It's essentially Social Darwinism. Additionally, the Ring of Gaea had based all around the globe. While they were typically hard to track down, they were also quite identifiable by their usual garments; covered completely in red, and brimming with power. The Counter-Demon Force and the Ring of Gaea have clashed on more than one occasion, even causing the massive catastrophic destruction of Akihabara many years ago, despite there being no deaths involved, be it military personnel or civilian.

"At any rate," Mai said as she took a drink from her mug. Rather than a full on swing, it was a simple sip as she looked at the brunette with a knowing smile. "God-Killers are powerful because of what they can accomplish, that is a fact. Because of that, several different factions want to obtain their strength. So far, there's the God-Killer of the Ring of Gaea...and you, Dagda's God-Killer, who's side with us, the last defense of humanity. It won't be long before a war breaks out, and when it does..." she paused, letting out a laugh. "It's going to be quite the bloodbath."

Hei nodded. "Indeed...especially since Kuoh will be it's battleground."

Issei's expression fell when he heard the name of his ruined hometown. Due to the Great Fire of Kuoh, pretty much every building had been damaged or destroyed. Houses. Stores. Office buildings. Apartment complexes. Schools. Everything. "Wait, what do you mean it's going to be a battleground?!" The town had been destroyed. Why would they fight there?!

"Because it is the territory of the Sitri and Gremory Houses, Issei." Hei answered.

"They're the territories of the younger siblings of two of the four rulers of the Underworld," Mai explained. "We've been investigating the area pretty thoroughly. Even after the demons began to emerge, the magnetite levels have been going on strong. Usually, once a demon incursion is said and done, it dissipates down to safe levels."

"But it hasn't," the Demon in Human Skin added. "Furthermore, we're still getting demonic activity there."

"M-meaning?"

"Kuoh is still occupied by the demons. Even now, more and more demons are being summoned there."

Silence. One second. Two. Then three. Four seconds went by. After five seconds, Issei's mind finally registered Hei's words.

"...w...what...?"

Did...did he hear that right...? Demons...still at Kuoh...?

"H-how?!" he found himself screaming. "My home got turned into nothing but smoldering rubble!"

"Lately," Mai spoke up, earning his attention. "We've been getting signals from the quarantined area. While there were several people unaccounted for on the list of people inside Kuoh, we weren't able to confirm whether or not anyone actually died in the blaze, or was simply left behind."

Hei sighed. "As sad as it is to admit, sometimes one is forced to leave others behind in an evacuation, whether we like it or not," he told Issei, setting down his tea. He then turned to face his student, blue eyes meeting green. "Since you're apart of S-0, I think it's best you know. Once the training regiment has reached it's end, you will be made into an official member of our unit. Specifically, you'll be assigned to Mai's team." The brunette's eyes widened, surprised by this as he looked at Mai, who gave him a wink. "After Mai's team has been filled out, you will be leaving immediately on a mission."

"A...mission?"

The leader of S-0 nodded. "In three months...you and your team will be heading to Kuoh, and investigate the recent demonic activity."

Issei's eyes widened even further. So when training ends...he's finally going to visit his home town...? For a moment, his memories raced back to the happier days with his family. But that moment was brief as it was burned away by the ravenous flames and stench of burning flesh. He could only hear the sounds of screams and flapping flames...as well as the visage of monsters walking through them.

 _'They're all going to die...'_ he thought, his hand clenching into a fist. _'Demon, God, Angel, Buddha, Preta...every last one of them!'_

From within the COMP, Dagda grinned wickedly in glee. "Yes kid...that's the way...let your rage towards all of them fuel your strength." he was glad he chose this particular human for his Godslayer. While he is not quite human anymore, he still possesses his emotions, which is a fortunate aspect. He didn't want an emotionless puppet. He wanted a weapon that could think for itself. While it may been a troublesome and risky thing, it was certainly with uses. After all, by retaining will, he would feel rage and hate...and now he felt just that. Devils, Fallen Angels, Gods, Demons, Angels, Buddha, Preta...everything was now the target of his rage. After so many years, Dagda had found a human that could liberate humanity from this damnable prison from everything.

"It won't be long now...soon, it will all begin."

* * *

Kuoh had truly been a shadow of it's former self. While it was not a large city, it was still fairly big. Once, it was vibrant and thriving of life...yet now, all that lined it's streets were pieces of rubble and scorched earth. Some buildings were scarred, left dilapidated or crumbling.

If you were to ask Varna, he found it quite fitting for what would become the battleground and the verge of a new age. The God smirked to himself as he breathed in the air, the scent of festered blood and ash heavy in the air. "Three months will be well worth the wait," he said to himself before he looked at his God-Killer, who simply at the edge of the building, eating a chocolate bar in her hand. "I suppose you can hardly wait either."

His God-Killer smiled. "Of course," she replied. "After all, my darling Ise is supposed to be here soon, right?"

"If what I've been told is to be believed, yes."

"Then great!" The pink haired God-Killer grinned brightly as she took another bite of chocolate.

Varna sighed, shaking his head. "What a one-tracked mind you have, Yuno Gasai..."

* * *

"...so, this is where the God-Killers will be gathering, huh?" a woman questioned as she looked at the ruined city of Kuoh from atop the rooftop of it's once prestigious academy. She appeared to be in early adulthood, possessing long black hair that reached down to her knees, which was tied into a small tail near the end with a white band. She also dressed in a rather skimpy outfit, wearing torn shorty shorts and torn up leggings, coupled with a few straps on her legs, as well as three belts tied around her right leg. She had another belt at her hip with a silver buckle, and wore silver greaves. Her top was rather revealing, split open at the front to reveal her stomach and abdomen, as well as a fair amount of cleavage. Over it was a worn-out black coat with black straps and silver edgings, with the left sleeve torn apart. Her left arm was covered in bandages and several straps. "Hmph."

She was mildly interested of what will be taking place. In truth, she didn't have any real interest in the conflict that was about to begin. She was mildly interested in the God-Killers themselves. From what she knew, so far there were three others; one who was the God-Killer of Varna, the Heavenly King of the Three Worlds, who sided with the Polytheistic Alliance. One who was the God-Killer of Mahesvara, the God of Destruction and Rebirth, who was apart of the Ring of Gaea. And lastly, the God-Killer of Dagda, the Good God of Ireland, who was apart of the Counter-Demon Force.

And then, there was herself. The God-Killer of Cleopatra.

Edna Corvus couldn't help but sigh as she folded her arms, looking up at the sky. "What a boore..."

* * *

"...Toki, I have a new task for you."

Upon the voice echoing from the darkness, a lone figure emerged from the shadows. The figure was a petite female garbed in a black bodysuit and black cloak. On her face was a black and silver, two horned Oni mask. The girls lavender hair spilled from behind the mask in a wild manner.

"...you called, Lady Yuriko?" The girl addressed the woman sitting on the couch on the far side of the room.

She wore a white coat with a fur lining along the collar, yet it was not like those burly fur coats those prissy and arrogant noble women wore. Rather, this was more slim fitting, as if to fit her curvaceous form. She was perhaps the pinnacle of beauty, bearing pale, alluring alabaster skin with jet black hair, well groomed and polished, sitting atop her shoulders. Underneath the coat, she wore a formal black suit, complete with a dress shirt, a jacket that was buttoned up half way, and dress pants with black heels. Her eyes were a cold, yet mystifying color of electric green. Below her left eye was a small black mole.

"Indeed I have..." The woman responded, her voice melodious and smooth. "I have a task for you..." The masked figure, Toki, bowed her head as she kneeled. "As you are aware, this city will soon become the battleground, as it had before nearly half a year ago. Soon, the Counter-Demon Force will come to this city, and try to reclaim it. Recently, we've learned some rather...interesting information."

"...who is my target?" the masked girl asked simply, wasting no time in beating around the bush.

Yuriko smiled widely. "...the God-Killer of Dagda."

* * *

"...what a beautiful sunrise. Truly, Japan is the land of the rising sun, isn't it? I wished I can come here sooner!"

Sitting close by to where the wharf once was before it was reduced to smoldering ruin was handsome young boy with tanned skin and aqua-colored blue hair and bluish gray eyes, wearing a light blue hat with a peacock feather attached to it, a jacket of the same color with the coattail split in two, an orange dress shirt with a red cravat, and light brown shorts with leather boots that reach up to his calves. However, despite his looks, his eyes held wisdom beyond their years, old and wise. A light smile danced across his face as he stared at the sun, which was slowly rising up to break away the darkness.

"Normally, I would agree," a calm, methodical voice spoke behind him. "However, I'm afraid that the scenery ruins the beauty, Krishna."

A sigh escaped him as he looked at the being behind him. "Must you be so pessimistic, Odin?"

Behind the man, now named Krishna, was a tall being adorned in golden armor with strips of blue, a navy blue cape fluttering behind him. In one hand, he carried a long spear, and in the other, perched on his wrist, was a black raven. His face was also seemingly apart of the armor, as a blue design covered his left eye, leaving his only cold blue eyes, which was sent into a calculating, cold methodical glare.

"Forgive me, old friend," the Allfather of Valhalla said. "But you know it is true. All around us is nothing but scorched earth and piles of dirt." He gestured all around them, signifying the rubble and ash as far as the eye could see.

"Well, it doesn't matter. After all...one can say that the the grandest of sights is born from a stark contrast. With the symbol of renewal of the rising sun...and the lifelessness of the scorched Earth...I would say that it is still quite a marvel to behold." Krishna shrugged.

Odin sighed. "Only you would believe that," he said in exasperation as he folded his arms. "It is a wonder how you ever became the leader of the Hindu Gods after Vishnu's death in the Great War."

"Well, I am his Eighth Incarnation and complete...unlike them..."

Again, Odin shook his head. "Lord Odin!" a voice cried out from above. "Lord Odin!" Soon, a third arrival made their appearance, landing softly on the ground. It was a beautiful young woman with long, straight silver hair and light blue eyes who appears to be in her late teens. Her attire seemed to be a set of Valkyrie armor, which consisted of a white breastplate with gold and pale blue accents and matching, fingerless gauntlets, boots, hip guards, and wing-shaped hair clips. She wore a black leotard underneath her breastplate, black thigh-high stockings, and a pale blue cloth wrapped underneath her hip guards, all of which were clad with pink lacing along with her hair clips. "There are you! I've been looking everywhere for you!"

"Ah," Odin nodded his head, seemingly apologetic. "I apologize, Rossweisse."

"Just why do you keep going off on your own without notifying me first?!" She scolded. "As your bodyguard, it is my duty to look after you...and how am I supposed to do that if you keep running off like this?!"

Krishna let out a chuckle.

"Come now, Rossweisse," Odin replied, completely unperturbed by her scolding. "Even I must have some fun once in a while. Besides, I did not go far off."

"That is not the point, Lord Odin!"

Odin chuckled as his tone became more teasing. "You know, Rossweisse...it is because you are so uptight and strict that you can't seem to get a boyfriend."

"DON'T SAY SUCH THINGS DAMMIT!" the poor valkyrie screeched with a red face, tears flying from her eyes. "I EXPECTED THIS ATTITUDE WHEN YOU ACT LIKE A PERVERTED OLD BUFFOON, NOT OUR DIGNIFIED ALLFATHER!"

Krishna could no longer control his laughter as he tumbled in the air laughing crazily at the comical situation. Leave it to his good friend to get his spirits up. Ah, if only such things could last. Such moments were the things he enjoyed.

However...even if he knew that it wouldn't last, especially with humanity about to be thrown into a war it is completely unprepared for.

* * *

"...at last, it begins..."

"Indeed, Lord Lucifer. After so many years of waiting..."

* * *

"Are all the preparations complete, Seraph?"

"Yes, Merkabah..."

"Good."

* * *

In two separate realms, one of light and one of dark, two opposing forces seemingly stared at one another, despite the boundaries within their worlds, and met the nonexistence gaze between them with smoldering intensity.

Stephen, however, merely smiled mysteriously from his own space, as he pushed up his glasses.

"And so it begins..." he whispered. "The Final Battle for humanity."

"The Second Great War."

End of LIFE 04

* * *

 **Dagda:** After playing the game, I had to, unfortunately, retcon how he was portrayed in earlier chapters. While he does want humanity to be liberated from gods, in contrast to creating a new universe, he is still going to be quite hostile.

 **Krishna:** As people can see, he is quite different from how he was portrayed in SMT IV Apocalypse, and that is intentional. In this story, Krishna is not a antagonist, so anyone hoping for a badass fight between him and Issei...sorry.

 **Odin:** This incarnation of Odin is a mix of both how he was portrayed in Apocalypse, and in DxD. Due to *SPOILERS* he has to assume his perverted old man guise while he is with others, but around individuals like Krishna or Issei, he can assume his true form. Also, he is SMT powerful, not DxD. Want to state that now.

 **Toki:** This is a different Toki than the one that appeared in Apocalypse.

 **Characters from Apocalypse:** Want to state this up front...no one from Apocalypse, from the exception of noteworthy demons, will be appearing. That means no Hallelujah, Gaston, Asahi, Isabeau, Flynn, Navarre, or Nozomi. Not even Toki is in this. Instead, she is replaced by someone else. However, I do have two characters filling the role of being half-demon, so Hallelujah and Toki's roles have been filled out.


End file.
